Free checklist

Threat Assessment First-Response Checklist

One printable page for the first hours after a concerning report: safety, documentation, triage, lawful information gathering, behavior-based assessment, case management, and closure.

• Seven steps, each with check-boxes your team can use on a live case
• Based on public threat assessment practice, model-neutral
• Free to copy for your own team

Threat assessment template and form

Practitioners searching for a threat assessment template or threat assessment form usually need the same thing: a short, printable structure the team can fill in under pressure. This free checklist is that first-response template. It is model-neutral and focuses on actions your team can complete in the first hours after a concerning report.

• Safety first — who is at immediate risk, and what is already being done
• Documentation — time, source, exact words or behaviors reported
• Triage — whether the case needs urgent escalation or can enter standard review
• Lawful information gathering — what you can collect without overreaching
• Behavior-based assessment — pathway indicators and context, not labels
• Case management and closure — owners, interim measures, and a review date

Need fill-in forms beyond one page? Start with the free BTAM forms sampler (intake, triage, case-management plan), then The BTAM Case Workbook for the full set. The framework behind the tools is in Integrated BTAM.

School threat assessment checklist

School and campus teams need a school threat assessment checklist that works on a live report—not a theory page. Use this first-response checklist when a student, staff, or visitor concern reaches the team:

1. Confirm immediate safety and any already-active protective steps
2. Record the report with time stamps and the reporting channel
3. Triage for time-sensitivity (same-day risk vs. scheduled review)
4. Gather lawful information from staff who know the context
5. Assess behavior and pathway indicators as a multidisciplinary team
6. Assign case management, monitoring, and support or intervention steps
7. Document closure criteria or the next review date

For the process narrative, read What are the steps in a school threat assessment? and the CSTAG explainer on transient vs. substantive threats. Campus leaders can also pair the checklist with Campus Under Siege and The Prepared Leader.

Threat response checklist for HR and legal

HR, employee relations, and legal counsel often search for a threat response checklist for HR and legal when a workplace concern lands without a clear playbook. Keep the response practitioner-focused and documentable:

• Immediate safety — separate parties if needed; involve security or law enforcement when the threshold is met
• Notification map — who in HR, legal, security, and leadership is informed, and in what order
• Record preservation — emails, chats, badge logs, prior complaints, and prior assessments
• Behavior-based review — facts and observable behavior; do not treat the checklist as a clinical diagnosis
• Interim workplace measures — scheduling, access, remote work, or no-contact steps with owners named
• Case plan — next actions, responsible roles, and a calendar review date

Pair this page with The termination meeting that prevents workplace violence, insider-threat warning signs, and workplace violence & insider threat consulting. California employers building a written plan under Labor Code 6401.9 can use The SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Workbook.

Frequently asked questions

What is a threat assessment template or form used for?

A threat assessment template or form gives your team a repeatable place to capture a concerning report, triage urgency, document behavior (not labels), and assign case-management steps. The free CrisisWire checklist is a one-page first-response template for the hours after a report; printable intake, triage, and case-plan forms are available in the free BTAM forms sampler and The BTAM Case Workbook.

Is there a school threat assessment checklist?

Yes. The CrisisWire first-response checklist works for K-12 and campus teams: secure safety, document the report, triage time-sensitivity, gather lawful information, assess behavior and pathway indicators, assign case management, and close or escalate. For school-specific process steps, see the Insights article on the steps in a school threat assessment, and use The BTAM Case Workbook for write-in school and campus practice cases.

What should an HR and legal threat response checklist include?

An HR and legal threat response checklist should cover immediate safety, who is notified and when, preservation of records and communications, coordination with security or law enforcement when required, a behavior-based assessment (not a diagnosis), interim workplace measures, and a documented case-management plan with owners and review dates. CrisisWire's free checklist covers the first-response sequence; workplace teams can pair it with Integrated BTAM and the SB 553 workbook where California Labor Code 6401.9 applies.

How is this checklist different from a full BTAM program?

The free checklist is a first-hours response tool. A full behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) program adds multidisciplinary team roles, screening criteria, documentation standards, training, and ongoing case management. Use the checklist to standardize the opening moves, then the BTAM forms sampler and books for the deeper toolkit.

Updated November 9, 2026