In Wake of High-Profile Abductions, Experts Teach Critical Skills to Reporters in the Field and Key Media Players
SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 5, 2004 — U.S. journalists who travel abroad will have a rare opportunity to learn critical skills in a one-day Abduction Prevention-Hostage Survival seminar. Scheduled for Tues., Oct. 12, the seminar will take place at the National Hostage Survival Training Center in Spokane, Wash., and will feature leading experts in hostage survival (http://www.hostagesurvival.com/index_int.asp?pageid=807).
Participants may register for the free seminar by calling 509-468-4128 or emailing the Center at Email.
As journalists are more frequently sent to high-risk areas around the world such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Sudan, Latin America, and the Far East, they are increasingly vulnerable to abduction. The training is designed to prepare them should such an incident occur.
Randy Spivey, President of RS Consulting, which operates the Center, stated, "Training scenarios and guidance will be tailored to the unique vulnerabilities faced by journalists that travel outside the U.S. in today's world environment."
Seminar participants will consist primarily of journalists on the front lines – the foreign correspondents – but the seminar is geared toward a broad media audience. Seminar organizers expect attendance from members of national media outlets in print, television, and radio journalism who cover world events.
The primary speakers will be Spivey and Roger Aldrich, Director of Training, TATE Inc. (http://www.tate-inc.com). Together, they have 53 years of experience with the Department of Defense (DoD). Both have developed and delivered training programs for some of the highest-risk personnel in DoD, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies.
The training will engage participants in voluntary role-playing scenarios and address the following specific topics:
v -Understanding the Threat of Abduction in Today's Environment
-Imperative Rules for Safe Travel in Foreign Countries
-Detecting Surveillance and Countering it
-Goals and Motivations of a Hostage Taker
-Five Keys to Surviving a Hostage Situation
-Skills for Coping with Isolation in a Hostage Environment
-Five Topics to Avoid Discussing with a Hostage Taker
-The Critical Role a Hostage Plays in the Negotiation Process
-Role of a Hostage's Family
-Dealing with Demands for Ransom
-Interfacing with U.S. Government Agencies
-Critical Considerations When Assessing the Possibility of Escape
-What to do During a Rescue Attempt
-How to Reintegrate Successfully Following a Hostage Detention
About the National Hostage Survival Training Center
The Center opened last month in Spokane, Wash., to bring to the public sector its mission of training and educating at-risk U.S citizens to avoid and survive abduction at home, work, and abroad.
Led by Randy Spivey, who managed the hostage survival training programs in the Department of Defense from 1997 to 2002, the Center features a world-class faculty with expertise in crisis prevention, management, and recovery.
For more information on the Center, go to http://www.hostagesurvival.com.
Contact:
Randy Spivey
President, RS Consulting
108 N. Washington, Suite 300
Spokane, WA 99201
509-468-4128
Email