• Before attempting negotiations, you must establish if there is any evidence of a hostage in the first place.

• If you are not the negotiator, please listen carefully to the assigned negotiator's commands to make sure everyone is on the same page to prevent unnecessary escalation.

• Never go in alone; always ensure you have backup from fellow Tactical Firearms Officers, or at the very least, other officers

• Keep your primary weapon in your hands and refuse to put away said firearm. If they ask why, simply say "Our standard operating procedures prevent me from doing so".

• Your primary weapon should be suitable for the hostage situation in case you need to take a precise shot. If it isn’t ideal for accuracy, such as a shotgun, switch to your pistol instead.

• Speak with a clear and confident demeanour when speaking to a hostage taker. Typically, hostage takers are simply attempting to guarantee their safety from apprehension or death at the hands of law enforcement.

• Instead of saying "No" to their demands, it's recommended you say "Under the Penal Code, we are not permitted to carry out your demand(s)" or "I/we do not feel comfortable with carrying out your demand(s)"

• Ideally, as a hostage negotiator, you'll want to strike a legal deal with them (the hostage takers). The agreement doesn't have to be their plan, and should always follow the law (including law 4.5 "Ransom Payments")

• Under most circumstances, you should stick to the deal you struck. For instance, if you promise the hostage taker(s) that they will have free passage from the scene until the hostage is secured by the Police and confirmed safe from harm.

Note: Never allow the hostage taker(s) to move the hostage(s) to a new geographic location or out of your sight, where they could then be transported away by the hostage taker(s).

Negotiations should not be attempted under the following circumstances:

• At least 1 hostage is in need of immediate medical treatment due to wounds sustained by the hostage takers, such as if the hostage is bleeding out or unconscious.

• The hostage taker(s) have fired upon or attempted to harm the negotiator or the point of first contact.

• The hostage taker(s) have taken a hostage in an unsafe environment, such as a burning building.

• The hostage taker(s) have failed to abide by previous agreements.

Once you have secured a hostage, your course of action must be:

• Restrain them for both your and their safety

• Search them for any weapons and explosives, and injuries

• Evacuate them once confirmed safe

Once the hostages are out of harm's way, ensure you do the following:

• Injuries need to be checked by paramedics

• Active warrants must be checked

Note: The hostage(s) should be kept out of sight to the hostage taker(s) at all times and should be moved away to a range, where any of their statements may under no circumstances be audible to the hostage taker(s), to prevent further risk of violence to the hostage(s) in the future.

Warning: In the event of a hostage being released, do not launch an assault against the suspect(s) until all hostages are out of any immediate harm's way. Preferably secured within the SWAT Van and transported away from the scene!

Danger: The possibilities of a "released" or "rescued" hostage actually being an aide to the hostage takers is not an uncommon scenario, and this must be acknowledged at all times when handling a hostage!

In rare situations, the hostage taker(s) will use an explosive in order to give themselves an advantage over the Police, as it adds an incredible risk in case of negotiation failure.

These explosives are commonly used by the hostage taker(s):

• Activated hand grenades of all kinds, with the pin pulled

• Remotely activated explosives

• Molotov cocktails

Risk factors involved with explosives:

• Remote explosives can be triggered by more than one person through phone calls. This means that eliminating the visible hostage taker(s), does not guarantee the remote explosive will not detonate

• The hostage taker(s), with hand grenades, that have the pin pulled, should never be fired upon, as you should never expect the hostage(s) to react properly. Performing this strategy means that you can be held accountable for any damage, injuries or death.

Safety precautions that must be taken when explosives are involved:

• Create 2 perimeters; In the bomb's location and another one where the controlled explosion will take place

• Ensure all civilians and non-essential personnel remain behind created perimeters

• If the situation is occuring in an apartment block or bazaar, all occupants of said properties must be evacuated immediately

• If a hostage with an explosive device is recovered, your first priority should be removing the explosive from the vicinity of the hostage

Danger: Every explosive must be treated as armed until detonated!

Hostage rescue is a last resort tactic in hostage situations and not an uncommon outcome. The following tactics should be utilised:

• If the hostage is in a separate room from the hostage taker(s), use yourself and your fellow TFOs with guns drawn, to position yourself in a way that will allow another officer (be it TFU or not) to focus on extracting the hostage out of the building.

• When neutralising the hostage taker(s), who have their weapons trained towards the hostage, a TFU marksman armed with either the M24 or L115A3, should take the shot. Alternatively rifles and submachine guns may be used in a pinch, if convinient to do so immediately. Shotguns are discouraged due to their unpredictability.

Warning: Firing upon a vehicle containing a hostage is heavily discouraged, as this could result in the injury or death of the hostage!