Emergency responders who witness traumatic events on a regular basis are often quietly traumatized themselves B次元官网网址� and the stress can build like a pressure cooker.

In the old days, firefighters might try to shrug it off or drown their angst in beer. These days, fire halls are acutely aware that ignoring the natural effects of traumatic incidents can lead to responder burnout and breakdown.

B次元官网网址淚f you go to a graphic car accident and see disturbing things, youB次元官网网址檒l feel an emotional impact,B次元官网网址� said Langford Fire Rescue assistant chief Geoff Spriggs, the president of the  Archipelago critical incident stress management society, a support organization for emergency responders.

B次元官网网址淗aving education of what that stress is a healthy thing. ItB次元官网网址檚 about having a healthy recovery. We want to mitigate the effects so it doesnB次元官网网址檛 become a bigger problem.B次元官网网址�

After returning from a crash, fire or suicide event, firefighters are typically debriefed within a day or so to check for signs of an emerging stress reaction. Physical ailments, depression and cognitive impairment are among a long list of the bodyB次元官网网址檚 natural responses.

B次元官网网址淲hen the brain and body experience something traumatic, like it or not it has a protective mechanism which can cause problems, but they are normal reactions,B次元官网网址� Spriggs said.

Firefighters are educated in early stages of their careers to recognize symptoms of stress and to understand that the body will react in sometimes unpredictable and unpleasant ways.

Senior fire officers encourage firefighters to exercise, to talk with their friends, colleagues and family and to have leisure time. They need to beware of over-consumption of alcohol. If problems persist, Archipelago can bring in trauma counsellors.

B次元官网网址淗umans are quite resilient, but sometimes they get in their own way of recovery,B次元官网网址� Spriggs said. B次元官网网址淎lcohol slows recovery. It extends the time you deal with the problem.B次元官网网址�

Spriggs said these days Archipelago is trying to educate families of volunteer firefighters too, so spouses can see signs of stress and the tools to manage problems.

B次元官网网址淲e want to give families healthy emotional support instead of just blind-siding them,B次元官网网址� he said.

Langford fire Chief Bob Beckett said critical incident stress training has been in place many years, but is still a relatively new concept in emergency services.

B次元官网网址淲e want (critical incident stress management) in place. We donB次元官网网址檛 wait until someone sees their first traumatic death,B次元官网网址� Beckett said. B次元官网网址淣ot everything we do is pleasant. There are normal responses to abnormal situations, but mechanisms are in place to respond.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 taken time for the culture of the fire hall to change, but it has from the top down, Beckett said B次元官网网址� the fire department is a stronger organization for it.

B次元官网网址淚t shows how emergency services have evolved to recognize the emotional challenges and trauma,B次元官网网址� Beckett said. B次元官网网址淚f someone is struggling after a call, we have an organization and a culture that says itB次元官网网址檚 OK to reach out for help. This gives people the tools to manage daily stress.B次元官网网址�

A number of fire departments, the health authority staff and corrections staff fall under Archipelago, which is hosting an International Critical Incident Stress Foundation conference from Oct. 27 to 30 in Victoria, featuring talks by top researchers in crisis support.

For more information email Spriggs at gspriggs@cityoflangford.ca or see www.icisf.org.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com