Zdeněk Orel
Crisis negotiator
Zdeněk Orel served in the armed and security forces in both the Czech Republic and France. He spent 29 years with the Police of the Czech Republic, including as commander of a special public order unit in Prague and as a police negotiator. He has handled more than 80 negotiation cases and completed a professional placement with the French RAID special police unit. He also helped train new police negotiators in Slovakia.
He helped develop security procedures for responding to active shooter incidents and terrorist attacks. In 2023, he personally took part in the response to the active shooter attack at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. In recognition of his long-standing cooperation in public order, counterterrorism, and negotiation, he received the French National Defense Medal in 2024.
Today, he works as a freelance negotiator, trainer and teacher at the Secondary Vocational School for the Protection of Persons and Property in Ostrava and Karviná. He delivers courses in negotiation, crisis communication, and active shooter response. He also prepares security documentation for organizations, publishes articles, and appears on podcasts.
Stories by Zdeněk
2 stories, newest first
When the Issue Is Price – and When It Is Life
Business and crisis negotiation use similar tools, but differ in purpose, emotional intensity, and the consequences of failure.
How to Become a Police Negotiator
The question of how to become a police negotiator first occurred to me after an incident in Prague 4 on 16 December 2009.
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