Fostering Wellbeing in Emergency Services Through Human-Centered Technology Solutions

In a recent study by Fortem Australia, organisational stress was found to be just as damaging to first responders’ mental health as occupational trauma.[i]

Cumulative organisational stress has also been found to deplete first responders’ resources, resulting in fewer resources to invest in coping with operational stress and trauma when it arises.[ii]?

Given the research, there is clear evidence that building resilience across the Public Safety and Justice (PS&J) sector is critical for improved outcomes for first responders and their families.

Akkodis has worked with public safety and justice organisations for over a decade to identify innovative technology solutions for this sector. Our empathy-led approach ensures we centre our strategy and solutions thinking on true user needs, and a holistic understanding of their activities and interactions with those solutions.

Based on our work in this sector and our commitment to delivering innovative technology solutions, we have explored the question: Can technology play a role in improving wellbeing and resilience for first responders? We believe it can.

Through our own research[iii] and long-term partnerships with PS&J organisations, Akkodis has developed an evidence-based approach to using technology to mitigate some of the key detractors of first responder wellbeing.

Akkodis has conducted research with Edith Cowen University into the impact of organisational stress and the role of technology in managing its impact. The research indicates taking a ‘human-centred design’ (HCD) approach to the application of technology can support improved operational and organisational outcomes – particularly for Law Enforcement and Emergency Services.

Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a problem-solving approach frequently applied in the design of processes, products, services, and systems. It incorporates the human perspective at every stage of the problem-solving process, ensuring outcomes are aligned to the specific requirements and expectations of the people they are designed to serve.

Applying HCD principles to the development and implementation of technology can help create effective and efficient organisational outcomes and, in addition, create positive emotional engagement with end-users and the broader workforce.

The research also indicates deploying technology to improve operational efficiencies through automation and access to digital capability is one of the ways it can address some of the root causes of organisational stress.

We also discovered technology may have a critical role to play in supporting first responders’ wellbeing as they transition from high-stress operational environments. This is something we explored further with Dr Kristen Hamling, a registered psychologist with over twenty years’ experience.

Wellbeing & Technology in the Emergency Services:

Dr Hamling has worked extensively with first responders. In her PhD research, Wellbeing in the Emergency Services, she identified both operational and organisational stress as having a negative impact on the wellbeing of first responders.

In her PhD research she notes, “Emergency service work is unique and exposes first responders to job demands that extend beyond most other occupations.”?

She also noted that many first responders were driven by purpose: “a strong desire to make the world a better place and had a sense of obligation and moral duty towards their work.” She believes removing obstacles to achieving this purpose can have a positive impact on both wellbeing and organisational outcomes.

Dr Hamling explores many of these obstacles in her research. They range from political, cultural and psycho-social influences within organisations, to heavy bureaucratic and administrative burdens placed on emergency services personnel.

Dr Hamling believes it is fundamentally important to support first responders to develop “trauma resilience” but “despite evidence that developing resilience to both organisational and operational stress contributes positively to first responder wellbeing, interventions such as these are not the norm across the industry.”

She states, “The literature is replete with information about how first responders stay resilient to, and grow from, traumatic operational experiences. However, few studies have investigated how first responders deal with organisational stress to maintain their wellbeing.”

Organisational stress manifests in emergency services workplaces from numerous factors including high workloads, resource management challenges, communication issues, the heavy burden of administration and organisational culture.

Reducing organisational stress in emergency services workplaces requires a multi-modal approach. Akkodis is using HCD principles to investigate how technology can mitigate elements of organisational stress and thereby alleviate demands on first responders and their families.

When asked about her experience of working with emergency services organisations she acknowledged that, “We don't understand enough about first responder wellbeing from their perspective.”

One area she has identified as a challenge for first responders is the transition from operational activities – which can often be physically and emotionally taxing – to the organisational requirements of reporting and administration.

She believes potentially, “Technology has got a lot to offer here. Automation of systems and processes to reduce the time and increase the accuracy of administrative tasks can have a positive impact on both wellbeing and organisational outcomes.”

Dr Hamling recognises that resource management across emergency services can impact wellbeing outcomes for first responders – both positively and negatively. Excessive paperwork is one of the challenges she often hears cited in her work with first responders. Using technology to reduce the time and stress of administrative tasks could “actually increase resources and free up more space to use the resources in a more meaningful way.”

This could also include future technology solutions that could support first responders as they shift from operational environments into the requirements of organisational reporting and administration.

When first responders are in ‘operational mode’ it often triggers the sympathetic nervous system – the body’s response to danger and stress. The brain sends messages to the rest of the body to prepare for and respond to danger. It is a stress response often referred to as ‘fight or flight’.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (PNS) comprise the?autonomic nervous system.?They work together to shift the mind and body between alertness and calmness[KH1]?. The PNS response is sometimes called "rest and digest" because when the PNS is activated, the body responds by increasing digestion, sleep, the tendency toward social interactions, and repairing injuries.[iv]

While the ‘stress response’ can be beneficial when responding to an emergency, ensuring a timely transition to the PNS response is essential for first responder wellbeing. [KH2]?

Dr Hamling believes, in addition to other wellbeing interventions, there may be an opportunity to incorporate technology as part of a holistic support system for emergency services workers.

“While technology should complement, not replace, traditional stress-reduction techniques like exercise, meditation, and relaxation exercises, there is an opportunity to explore its role in enhancing wellbeing outcomes – especially when first responders are transitioning between intense field and laborious administration work.”[LC3]?

Several technologies and practices could help individuals shift from a sympathetic (fight or flight) to a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state of mind:

• Biofeedback Devices: These wearable or sensor-based devices monitor physiological markers like heart rate variability (HRV) and provide real-time feedback. They can help users learn to regulate their autonomic nervous system and shift into a calmer state.[KH4]?
• Meditation and Mindfulness Apps: Apps like Headspace and Calm offer guided meditation and mindfulness exercises that can help reduce stress and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Breathing Exercises: Apps and devices like the Spire Stone monitor your breath and provide feedback to help you practice controlled, deep breathing, which can activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Heart Rate Monitors: Wearable devices like heart rate monitors or smartwatches can help users track their heart rate and understand how various activities or relaxation techniques impact their autonomic nervous system.
• Neurofeedback: This advanced technology involves monitoring brainwave activity and providing feedback to help individuals learn to self-regulate and shift into a more relaxed state.
• Virtual Reality (VR): VR environments can be designed to promote relaxation and stress reduction by immersing users in calming experiences, such as virtual nature walks or meditation spaces.
• HRV Coherence Training: Specialized apps and devices guide users in achieving heart rate coherence, a state associated with increased parasympathetic activity and reduced stress.

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Dr. Hamling observes, “Despite advances in trauma-treatment and post-traumatic growth in the past decade (e.g., EMDR research; mindfulness/meditation research; positive psychology [KH5]?[LC6]?research) many of these applications have not made it to the emergency services in sophisticated ways.”

She adds, “Akkodis considers the application of technology to be a critical step in advancing first responder wellbeing. However, emergency service organisations need to adjust for the sophisticated application and implementation of this technology e.g., increased mental health literacy and increased education for first responders about how the work impacts their brain, families, physical health, work performance, workplace relationships etc.”

Akkodis continues to work closely with emergency services organisations to co-create technology solutions for improving operational and organisational outcomes. We are also engaged with organisations such as Fortem, and experts in first responder wellbeing such as Dr Hamling, to better understand key challenges within these organisations – including supporting the well-being of first responders, their families, support networks and the communities they serve.

[i] Fortem Australia. (N.D). Understanding PTSD: Recognising and coping with Traumatic Stress Injuries. Fortem Australia. https://fortemaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Understanding-PTSD-Fortem-Australia-Resource.pdf

[ii] Fortem Australia. (N.D). Understanding PTSD: Recognising and coping with Traumatic Stress Injuries. Fortem Australia. https://fortemaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Understanding-PTSD-Fortem-Australia-Resource.pdf?

[iii] Akkodis (2023). Unveiling The Strain: A Comparative Study of Organisational Stress in the Police Force. Can Smart Technology Help? Akkodis Australia

[iv] Olivine, A. (2023, March). What is the Sympathetic Nervous System?. https://www.verywellhealth.com/sympathetic-nervous-system-how-it-works-and-more-7107953

Dr Kristen Hamling John Bale Fortem Australia Akkodis