Basic Hostage Crisis Negotiation

This forty-hour course provides the foundational skills required to become a law enforcement Hostage Crisis Negotiator. Designed to prepare students to meet the demanding requirements and certification criteria of their agency’s Hostage Crisis Negotiation Team, the training equips participants with the tools needed to excel in this critical role.

The curriculum covers a range of essential topics, including current negotiation techniques, de-escalation tactics, managing emotions, and handling both hostage and non-hostage situations. These technical skills are reinforced through rigorous scenario-based exercises that simulate real-world challenges.

Participants will also explore subjects such as the negotiator’s mission and goals, the philosophy of crisis negotiation, various types of crisis negotiation, critical assessments, suicide assessment and intervention, active listening skills, decision-making, and much more. The course is taught by a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience, who is also a trained FBI hostage/crisis negotiator.