Crisis negotiation may be defined as a way to communicate with a person(s) who is threatening violence. Traditionally, crisis negotiation has been associated with hostage taking. However, over the last quarter century there has been significant growth in the knowledge base regarding different types of crisis incidents and how best to handle them. Not all such incidents can be defined as hostage situations.

For example, the threat of violence may be explicit, such as a trapped criminal holding a hostage, or implied, such as a stalker following an ex-girlfriend. The perpetrator may be known, such as an employee who has made an explicit statement threatening harm, or unknown, such as a business receiving an anonymous threatening letter. Thus, crisis negotiation may be used in a wide variety of possible scenarios. Some of these situations obviously call for the employment of law enforcement. However, many of the victims of these situations would also benefit from private consultation.

Members of Crisis Management Consultants, Inc. have been at the forefront of both the study and practice of crisis negotiation as well as the development of crisis negotiation techniques and tools. CMC, Inc. consultants are available to advise business, governmental, and law enforcement organizations as well as provide training in this area.  

The principle CMC, Inc. crisis negotiation consultant and instructor is G. Dwayne Fuselier, Ph.D. A terrorism supervisor, and senior Negotiation Instructor during his 20 year career with the FBI, Dr. Fuselier was directly involved in the majority of the FBI's significant hostage/barricade incidents, including the Atlanta Prison Siege, the Branch Davidian incident in Waco, TX., the Montana Freemen Standoff, as well as the Texas Seven Negotiation in Colorado.