Saturday, April 4, 2026

Verbal Deescalation: Insights from the Front Line

Effective responses to individuals in crisis rely on recognizing early warning signs and adapting approaches to meet the moment

Ontario Emergency Services Emergency Medical Services

By Steve Soliman, Local 503 President

For hospital security professionals, verbal deescalation is a core part of the job. Every day in emergency departments, mental health units, and throughout hospital sites, the security team at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton put these skills into use.

What works best in these high-risk, high-stress situations?

Confidence in your ability to use physical interventions (if necessary) is an important first ingredient. There are moments when a person is in crisis, and safety for themselves and others requires physical intervention.

Recognizing that reality is not a failure. It’s part of professional judgment.

By maintaining a strong security presence in high risk areas, the security team at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (Charlton) is able to recognize those moments earlier and create opportunities to prevent escalation before it reaches critical moments.

Across healthcare, there is a growing emphasis on early engagement. Security professionals are often most effective when they are visible, calm, and present before a situation escalates. A brief, respectful check-in—done at the right time—can reduce anxiety and prevent a crisis from escalating.

The team focuses less on using the right words than on how to deliver them. Tone, posture, and presence matter. A calm voice, nonthreatening stance, and giving someone appropriate space can lower tension more effectively than commands or rapid questioning. In many cases, how something is said carries more weight than what is said.

Another important development is the use of trauma-informed approaches. Many individuals in crisis are not simply being uncooperative. They may be frightened, disoriented, or reacting to past experiences. Understanding this can help security professionals adjust their approach, reducing the likelihood of unintentionally escalating the situation.

There is also increasing focus on coregulation. When we understand that our calm, controlled presence can help stabilize someone who is overwhelmed, we shift away from an attempt to immediately assert control toward influencing the emotional temperature of the interaction. This doesn’t replace authority, but it can reduce the need to use it.

At the same time, deescalation has its limits. Knowing when verbal deescalation and tactical communication are no longer effective and when to transition to tactical considerations under the use-of-force model is critical. This is where experience, teamwork, and communication with clinical staff all come together.

CLAC continues to advocate for meaningful, practical training that reflects these realities. That includes scenario-based learning, regular refreshers, and joint training with healthcare teams so security professionals are fully prepared for the complex environments they work in every day.

What our security team has learned at St. Joseph’s can be used in many workplaces, especially by emergency responders. The work you do requires judgment, adaptability, and professionalism.

As the field evolves, that foundation remains the same—keeping people safe, using the right approach at the right time, and knowing when words are enough and when they’re not. In those moments, having a properly trained security professional at your side is essential.

Verbal Deescalation: Insights from the Front Line

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