It's a scenario negotiator Frank Bissette has worked before, except this one is just an exercise.

Bissette says, "I think you have to go into it with just a completely open mindset, keeping in mind that of course it could be a potential life and death situation for not only the individual that we're talking to but for the other officers that we're working with."

Dothan SWAT and officers held a mock training session at Laurel Oaks Wednesday morning.

Authorities say the exercises are the key in these types of situations.

Lt. Ray Owens of the Dothan Police Dept., "We always learn from them, we usually do better and when we have one of these we always have what's called a debriefing and we go and we meet everyone involved and we talked about what worked and what didn't."

Knowing what works and what doesn't helped this past summer when authorities barricaded areas of Oates Esates.

A situation that was very real.

Being prepared, Bissette says, was essential in negotiation tactics.

Bissette says, "You never know how quick an instant can change you know from talking on a phone line from someone to the individual decided to hang up the phone up and start getting violent."

Each training location is different for the crew, making each one a little more challenging every time.

Bissette says, "We try to pick locations that have a high occupancy rate of people so that it helps to throw extra things in there that we can prepare for in hopes to try to have some of those things worked out when something like that does happen."

That makes them better prepared for a better outcome.

Authorities try to hold these types of training sessions twice a year.

They say Wednesday’s training was the most realistic than past exercises.