What Went Right: Interactional Strategies for Managing Crisis Negotiations During an Emergency Service Call

This paper is a conversation analytic investigation of an emergency service call in which a hostage in a school shooting played a dual role during the ongoing emergency—the role of emergency service caller and the role of de facto crisis negotiator. The analysis will show how the caller used such techniques as footing shifts, tone of voice, self-disclosure, and active listening techniques to successfully keep the conflict from escalating, maintain the autonomy of the intruder, and negotiate his surrender while working in collaboration with the emergency service call taker.