What a Week-Completed FBI Crisis Negotiation Course

September 13, 2025, 12:21 PM

FBI courses, at least on the regional basis, are dependent. We sent a couple of our negotiators to a regional course, and it was horrible. One of the HR scenarios was laughable to the point one of my guys asked “when are we are going fucking shoot this guy?” Before that, the last ones we sent said it was good but not great.

I went to the Firearms Instructor course and it was also horrible. And the FBI FI course is supposed to be the standard. I’ve been to the basic and advanced sniper course multiple times and it was awesome.

September 13, 2025, 03:49 PM

CPD SIG

Congrats on the course!

I'm sorry the FBI scratched your name out like that!

______________________________________________________________________
"When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!"

“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy

September 13, 2025, 03:52 PM

StorminNormin

quote:
Originally posted by jljones:
FBI courses, at least on the regional basis, are dependent.

Totally agree.

September 13, 2025, 03:54 PM

StorminNormin

quote:
Originally posted by CPD SIG:
Congrats on the course!

I'm sorry the FBI scratched your name out like that!

Yeah I know they try to be all secretive, but geez at least put my name and agency on it.

September 13, 2025, 03:57 PM

CPD SIG

quote:
Originally posted by StorminNormin:
quote:
Originally posted by CPD SIG:
Congrats on the course!

I'm sorry the FBI scratched your name out like that!

Yeah I know they try to be all secretive, but geez at least put my name and agency on it.

It's like they said
"You completed the course successfully, but your department's check didn't clear, soooo.... here ya go."

Can ya ask them not to scribble it out? At least block it out? It's just a little more professional look!

September 13, 2025, 03:59 PM

rscalzo

When I attended the course a few decades back, it was known as the Hostage Negotiation Course.

September 13, 2025, 04:01 PM

StorminNormin

It is a small world as I saw a few investigators from my previous agency staying at the same hotel as me. They were not there for the course, but there for an investigation. They needed help with border crossing information and it happened that in my class was a HSI supervisor and I was able to hook them up with one of his investigators.

I love challenge coins and got two nice ones from people in the training.

The Laredo Police one is cool because on the other side is an emblem of badges that spins. That is the first challenge coin I have seen with a spinning part.

September 13, 2025, 04:12 PM

StorminNormin

quote:
Originally posted by rscalzo:
When I attended the course a few decades back, it was known as the Hostage Negotiation Course.

Yeah I imagine they changed it to Crisis Negotiation since it also includes talking down suicidal people and in any of the situations, they are in a crisis. Some of the scenarios we did were purely a suicidal person and trying to talk them down.

September 13, 2025, 04:32 PM

RogueJSK

And rightfully so. True hostage situations are less common than stuff like barricaded subjects and suicidal folks.

September 13, 2025, 04:59 PM

sigfreund

quote:
Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Yeah I imagine they changed it to Crisis Negotiation since it also includes talking down suicidal people and in any of the situations, they are in a crisis.

Yes, that certainly makes sense.

My experience was long ago enough (40+ years) that the whole concept of having formally-trained law enforcement negotiators was still somewhat new and, I believe, the reason it was more narrowly focused. I don’t know what agency or even individual(s) got the concept started originally, but the FBI training I received was just one minor example of how the agency has been an amazingly powerful force for the development of law enforcement professionalism in this country.

September 13, 2025, 06:59 PM

YooperSigs

Since we issued 14 inch 870s, I was sent to an FBI shotgun instructors course called "Bouncing Bullets". I was skeptical but it was excellent. Especially since I wore a PAST recoil shield under my shirt.

September 13, 2025, 07:56 PM

StorminNormin

quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
I don’t know what agency or even individual(s) got the concept started originally, but the FBI training I received was just one minor example of how the agency has been an amazingly powerful force for the development of law enforcement professionalism in this country.

From the training, they said that it started with NYPD in 1973 developing the whole concept taught today due to so many hostage situations that went horribly wrong. The FBI then took the concept and ran with it.

Also they said that for a very long time the FBI would not allow for hostages that were released to be interviewed for intel about everything inside the situation and eventually that finally changed. That seems pretty dumb to have not been allowed to interview someone rescued out of a hostage situation that is still ongoing.

September 13, 2025, 10:38 PM

jljones

quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
And rightfully so. True hostage situations are less common than stuff like barricaded subjects and suicidal folks.

Even so, barricades have changed for everyone. 5 years ago, SWAT would gas about it the time the car got put into park. Now, we are there to provide security for the negotiation and provide a QRF.