Hostage Negotiations and Crisis Intervention, Phase I and II

Instructor: Brandon Pierpoint

Duration: 4.5 Days (40 Professional Development Hours)

Cost: $675.00

Course Schedule: The first four days of instruction run from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM local time. The final day concludes at 12:00 PM local time, with the remaining hours dedicated to the tested portion of the training.

Course Overview

This comprehensive 40-hour training program equips law enforcement professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage hostage and crisis situations through negotiation techniques and crisis intervention strategies.

Course Topics and Content

Introduction and Orientation: Participants begin with instructor and student introductions, a curriculum overview, and exploration of negotiations history, course materials, and recommended readings presented through lecture format.

Required and Suggested Equipment: This section familiarizes students with essential equipment for hostage and barricaded subject responses, including hostage phones, response vehicles, ballistic protective gear, tactical identification apparel, surveillance technology such as fiber optic cameras and listening devices, and radio tactical channels. Content is delivered via lecture and PowerPoint presentations.

Fundamentals of Hostage Negotiation: Students learn core theoretical concepts covering incident response types, rationale for law enforcement negotiation, emotion versus rational decision-making, incident management, profiles of hostage-takers and hostages, negotiator qualifications, and time management strategies. Instruction uses lecture, PowerPoint, and video formats.

Active Listening Techniques: This module develops students' ability to employ listening techniques specific to crisis negotiation, emphasizing the importance of restating and paraphrasing to confirm accurate understanding of messages. Presentation methods include lecture, PowerPoint, and video.

Mental Health for Negotiators: Students explore the psychological dimensions of crisis negotiation, examining irrational and inappropriate behavior patterns, personality disorders, and mental illnesses commonly encountered by negotiators. Delivered through lecture, PowerPoint, and video instruction.

Bunches of 5: Participants collaborate to develop reusable materials for their agencies, brainstorming and creating preplanned responses to anticipated concerns and demands.

Suicide Intervention: This section addresses common emotional drivers of suicidal behavior, characteristics of major depressive disorder, and suicide risk assessment methodologies.

Situation Boards: Students learn information and intelligence management during incidents, emphasizing accurate documentation and communication. Content is presented via lecture, PowerPoint, and video.

NOC Protocol: Training covers the organization of Negotiations Operations Command, including team member functions and information-sharing protocols. Instruction includes lecture, PowerPoint, and video formats.

Third Party Intermediaries: Participants learn considerations and proper implementation of third-party intermediaries in crisis negotiations, delivered through lecture, PowerPoint, and video.

Tactical Role of the Negotiator: This module examines the relationship between tactical teams and negotiators, emphasizing interagency cooperation and the incident commander's role. Presentation includes lecture, PowerPoint, and video.

Managing Demands: Students examine strategies for handling hostage-taker demands, identify non-negotiable demands, and learn tactics for reframing or softening demands. The section also addresses managing hostage-taker deadlines. Instruction uses lecture, PowerPoint, and video formats.

Stress Management: Students develop understanding of stress effects on hostage-takers, hostages, and negotiators, learning stress management strategies. The module explores the Yerkes-Dodson Principle concerning stress and performance, along with consequences of inadequate stress management. Content is delivered via lecture, PowerPoint, and video.

Course Requirements

Students receive evening homework assignments involving case law review, analysis of current incidents, and scenario scripting. Daily discussions focus on case law and current incidents, while practical scenarios are integrated throughout the week to reinforce learning. These assignments account for the five hours of instruction not covered during regular class sessions.