Objectives
- How to recognize and avoid hostage situations
- How to ensure hostage safety
- How to repatriate hostages
Avoid Hostage Situations
- Identify where employees and stakeholders risk
becoming hostages
- Provide training on how to avoid hostage situations
- Provide training on appropriate actions in the event of
being taken hostage
Potential Hostage Situations
Hostages may be taken:
- kidnapping for ransom
- during or following a crime for protection
- during riots or civil unrest for intimidation
- building, vehicle, ship or airliner seized by terrorists
- prisoners of war (POWs)
Ensure Hostage Safety
Coordination and participation is essential for successful
hostage repatriation and recovery.
- Create and exercise contingency plans for
hijacking and hostage
taking
- Report information about hostage taking to senior
managers immediately
- Only high level managers should make public or media
statements
If Taken Hostage
- Do whatever an armed hostage taker wants
- Be especially courteous and compliant during the first
ten minutes
- Speak only when spoken to; do not offer jokes, sarcasm
or philosophy
- Show passive
compliance: act relaxed and sit down if allowed
- Don't turn your back and reach down unless so
instructed
- Try to maintain eye contact without staring
- Weigh any chance to escape carefully
- Be patient and trust your negotiators
Reporting a hostage situation
- overall situation and exact location
- numbers, genders and ages of hostage-takers and
hostages
- numbers and types of weapons
- specific demands or threats
- locations of people controlled by the hostage takers
Let Experts Negotiate
- Stay calm and immediately request trained assistance
(police or security)
- Do not follow orders given by a hostage taker, except to save lives
- Leave negotiations for skilled negotiators
- Leave critical decisions for skilled negotiators
- Delay decisions with "I'll ask ..."
- Answer demands with "I'll do my best ..."
- Attempt to find people who may positively influence the hostage
takers
Public or media statements
Trained staff should liaise with reporters and media
personnel to minimize risk, confusion and damage.
- Contact trained staff to liaise with reporters and
media personnel
- Confirm a hostage-taking event without details
- Confirm primary concern for hostage safety, unless the
site is threatened
- Confirm co-operation with law enforcement and security
experts
Emergency Coaching
| Martyn Carruthers
was a medical technician and served on Royal Navy nuclear
submarines during the Cold War. He was health physics and
safety officer at English and Canadian nuclear power stations, and Radiation
Protection Officer for the Canadian government, where he worked with Public Health
and Emergency Measures organizations. Martyn also founded
Soulwork
Solutions,
a complete system of coaching and mentorship. |
|
