Responding to Violence: Foundations

First responders operate in dynamic and uncontrolled environments daily, often encountering situations that may escalate or expose them to violence. Despite these challenges, training on managing high-risk, violent scenarios is often limited or outdated. Traditional guidance to simply leave the scene when risk increases leaves significant gaps—how to respond before reaching that point, how to recognize body language cues of anxiety and agitation to de-escalate before a patient becomes violent, how to integrate a trauma-informed approach to foster a safer patient-provider relationship, how to position yourself and your team for safety, and what steps to take when violence occurs, particularly when interventions such as restraint or sedation are required.

This course bridges these gaps by equipping first responders with actionable skills and a structured framework to assess, respond to, and mitigate the risk of violence while prioritizing the safety of both patients and teams. Designed by first responders for first responders, this training delivers essential concepts and techniques that can be immediately applied on their next shift.

Who Should Take This Course?

• Students, new, and experienced first responders
• Paramedics, firefighters, and prehospital healthcare providers
• Anyone looking to enhance safety and violence mitigation skills in dynamic environments