How can you create a supportive environment for emergency responders dealing with critical incident stress?

Creating a supportive environment in regard to CIS begins well ahead of responding to any incidents. Fostering a bond among first responders not only can create good working relationships, but it can also provide a baseline knowledge of each other’s normal characteristics. In these situations, it is often a peer that recognizes when there is a problem. Coupling this interpersonal knowledge with education about CIS symptoms establishes a solid support system that can utilize professional resources in times of need. Education can also help to eliminate the stigma that can be associated with CIS when everyone understands that everyone is susceptible to it.

Consider a paramedic who responded to a traumatic accident scene; at first, they appeared to be in good health, but weeks later, they started having trouble sleeping and nightmares, which were symptoms of CIS. An employee who witnessed a workplace accident might exhibit symptoms of anxiety and confusion right away, whereas a coworker who was downsized might experience fatigue and changes in appetite weeks later. The importance of recognizing these normal reactions to abnormal events is highlighted by the fact that in each of these cases, identifying these CIS symptoms and providing the appropriate support, such as counseling or therapy, played a critical role in the patients' recovery and wellbeing.

Effective critical incident response management includes normalizing the reactions following a traumatic event. Historically, responders were viewed as weak or less than if their response was anything other than appearing hardened. Particularly in law enforcement, the events are catastrophic and involve loss of life or serious injury. Leaders in law enforcement must be aware and enable personnel to decompress and encourage mental health as much as they value physical health; one without the other is an incomplete officer.

One of the best examples of this is when I worked for the Sheriff’s Office. Every year we had a seminar called SMILE training, or, Strengthening Marriage In Law Enforcement. The office recognized the stress of the job and didn’t hide from the stunning percentages of marriages that end in divorce in the profession. Instead, they took a head on approach. Deputies and their spouses were encouraged to attend together and they offered it in multiple sessions and times. It offered open and honest discussion and insights on how LEO’s could share and off load some of the trauma they experience, and how their spouses could help identify crisis warning signs and offer a non-judgmental and supportive environment.

Is this really a real question? Critical Incident Response has been a thing since I started in EMS in 1996. Probably even earlier.

After a traumatic event, survivors frequently create unofficial peer support groups where they can openly talk about their experiences, fears, and coping mechanisms. These conversations offer emotional support, useful guidance on locating counseling services, and a feeling of community during a trying time. Medical teams frequently hold debriefing sessions after emotionally taxing cases in the healthcare industry, giving them a structured setting to process their feelings, share their strategies, and lessen the emotional burden of their work. Peer support encourages people who are experiencing similar difficulties to come together, empathize, and grow, ultimately fostering resilience and mental health.

Peer support is vital to the ongoing mission of an emergency responder. Peer support after a CI (critical incident) is of the upmost importance because it allows your team members to express their feelings and thoughts to others who understand them in the same context. I can speak from personal experience, I have had multiple conversations with peers after a CI and it has helped them manage the initial effects of the incident. Being able to relate to my co-workers on the same professional level and shared experience allows us to relate on a more personal level.

Even with peer support, people dealing with CIS occasionally need professional help. For instance, despite peer group discussions, a firefighter who saw a terrible wildfire might still experience severe PTSD symptoms. A trained psychologist with experience in treating trauma can be consulted for therapy in order to receive specialized diagnosis and care. The first step toward recovery is gaining access to these services through community resources, insurance, or employer-sponsored mental health programs. Recognizing the need for expert assistance displays bravery and resiliency, underscoring the idea that asking for help is a sign of strength rather than weakness.

Make access open door. There is still a stigma with mental health conversations or speaking with a counsellor, therapist, priest etc. Remove the red tape for individuals to see them. Allow them to just show up for a conversation. Mental health days need to be added to sick days. Give them the time to feel human.

Emergency responders need to recognize the changes in response to stress. When I started I law enforcement it was still seen as a weakness to ask for help when dealing with the response to the stress they encounter. Agencies need to establish peer support groups, create partnerships with mental health professionals, and recognize the signs that develop. I have seen first hand the healing effect of being able to talk about they things we see can reduce the long term response of the stress. Agencies may take care of people but they need to take care of their own people or lose them.