Incident Escalation: When to Call, When to Contain

Escalation shouldn’t be a judgement call in the moment. A simple ladder keeps teams calm, clients informed, and outcomes consistent—especially on night shifts.

Escalation ladder

Good escalation is predictable. Teams should know exactly what needs supervisor review and what needs external support.

When the rules are clear, people act faster—and you get fewer “I wasn’t sure if I should call” delays.

Contain
Notify
Escalate
Document
Debrief