Are You the Calm in the Room? Mental Composure in Uncontrolled Environments

I remember my first week as a new officer out of the academy. I was excited to start my career and was eager to learn from my field training officer; the one who would help me make the transition from classroom to the street.

Then I heard my new call sign come over the radio. It was written in smudged ink on the back of my hand so I wouldn’t forget it. The call was for a violent domestic violence incident. The victim feared the male suspect was going to return with a firearm.

As we headed to the scene, my FTO asked, “What are you going to do when we get there?”

I went down the checklist I’d memorized in the academy: Park on the same side of the street, at least two houses away. Wait for backup. Make contact with the victim. Clear the house to make sure the suspect is actually gone.

He nodded and said, “Yeah, those are the steps. But the most important thing you can do is this.”

Slow the momentum.

This was it, my first real lesson in the field. I nodded. “Okay, how?”

He looked at me, slightly annoyed.

“Just slow things down when you get there.”

I was confused, but I didn’t press it.

Over the years, I’ve talked to hundreds of officers who had similar experiences. That same question always comes up:

How do we calm the chaos during a critical incident?

I wrote a separate post about managing chaos. You can read it here.

So what does it actually mean to slow the momentum?

In both my online and in-person training, I share tactics that help officers and leaders manage critical incidents more effectively. One of the most powerful tools is learning how to project calm.

Having a calming presence in the middle of chaos isn’t easy. But when you can do it, it changes the whole dynamic of the scene and it truly does slow the momentum.

Here are a few simple but effective ways to project calm:

• Speak slower and lower. People tend to mirror energy. If you sound panicked, others will respond in kind. Use a steady, measured tone, even if things around you are loud or chaotic.

• Keep your body language in check. No wild gestures or pacing. Stay grounded. Plant your feet, keep your shoulders relaxed, and make eye contact when appropriate.

• Acknowledge the stress, but stay focused. It’s okay to recognize the seriousness of the moment. What matters is that you don’t let it hijack your ability to lead or think clearly.

  
  

Officers take their cues from each other. If you can walk into a critical scene with a calm, steady presence, it has a ripple effect. It doesn’t mean you’re not aware of the danger. It means you’re choosing to manage your emotions so you can manage the scene.

That’s what slowing the momentum really looks like.