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First Responder Well-Being: Managing Stressful & Hazardous Situations

This comprehensive guide covers principles of communication, stress management, scene safety, CISM, and infectious disease control for first responders dealing with death, grief, and traumatic incidents. Learn how to maintain control, communicate effectively in grief situations, manage stress, and protect against infectious diseases. Discover the importance of personal protection, CISM processes, and critical incident stress management strategies. This resource emphasizes the well-being of EMS personnel during challenging and unpredictable scenarios.

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First Responder Well-Being: Managing Stressful & Hazardous Situations

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  1. Well-Being of the First Responder

  2. Stressful situations Death and dying Principles of communication in grief situations Stress management CISM Personal protection Infectious Disease Scene Safety Outline

  3. Stressful Situations

  4. Maintaining Control • EMS personnel must maintain control of their emotions in stressful situations • Stressful situations range from emotional reactions of distraught family members to the threat of illness or physical harm to the First Responder

  5. Stress Response • Occurs in many situations • Mass casualties • Pediatric patients • Death of a patient • Amputations or disfiguring injuries • Violence • Domestic abuse • Death or injury of co-worker

  6. Death and Dying • Calls may involve dead and dying patients • The First Responder, the patient, and family all react to death in their own individual way

  7. Stages of Grief • Grief is a process that helps people cope with a loss

  8. Consider patient’s needs Dignity, respect, privacy, control, and communication Allow emotion by patient and family Listen empathetically Don’t give false reassurance Gentle tone of voice Use reassuring touch if appropriate Comfort both the patient and the family Principles of Communication in Grief Situations

  9. Stress Management • What are some warning signs of stress? STRESS

  10. Not all Stress is Negative ...but too muchcan affect your health!

  11. Steps can be taken to reduce stress and prevent job burnout

  12. Eat Healthy Get ProfessionalCounseling StopSmoking STRESSREDUCTIONTECHNIQUES Change WorkSchedule Exercise Regularly Rest &Relax BalanceActivities

  13. Balance EMS Work with Recreation and Family Time

  14. Critical Incident Stress • Normal reaction of an individual to traumatic circumstances • Responding to pediatric patients • Patients with mutilating injuries • Calls in which the EMS worker knows the patient

  15. CISM • Critical incident stress management (CISM) is a system of resources developed to help emergency workers cope with unusually stressful situations • CISM helps people work through their emotional responses more quickly than they could on their own

  16. Pre-incident education On-scene support by peers One-on-one support Disaster support services Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) Follow-up services Spouse/family support Community outreach programs Wellness programs Management Strategies for CISM

  17. CISM Process • Consists of a team of trained peer counselors and mental health professionals • The goal of the process is to speed up the recovery process after a critical incident • There are two techniques used in CISM • Defusing • Debriefing

  18. Defusing • Shorter • Informal • Held a few hours after the event • Lasts 30 to 45 minutes • Allows for initial airing of feelings

  19. Debriefing • Held 24 to 72 hours after the event • Open discussion of feelings • Not a critique of the EMS workers • Information shared is confidential • CISD personnel offer suggestions for coping with the stress of the event

  20. Risk • Risks to emergency workers can be minimized with proper precautions • Infectious disease • Hazards at crash and rescue scenes • Hazardous (toxic) materials • Crime scenes and violence • Unstable or unsafe surfaces and structures

  21. Infectious Disease • It is not always possible to tell if a patient has an infectious disease • Always take measures to reduce the risk of disease transmission

  22. BSI • Body Substance Isolation • Barrier devices • Protective eyewear • Vinyl or latex gloves • Heavy duty utility gloves • Cover gowns • Face masks

  23. Infection Control Measures • Hand washing and good personal hygiene • Cleaning, disinfection, and replacement of equipment

  24. Health Measures • Immunizations • Annual tuberculosis (TB) screening

  25. Infectious Disease Exposure Report Personnel Involved Description of incident Follow up with occupational health clinic Report Exposures • Follow the policies and procedures of your agency

  26. Identify Hazards • Always look for and identify hazards when approaching the scene in order to determine whether it is safe to go to the patient

  27. STAY OUT! Scene Safety • YOUR OWN SAFETY COMES FIRST! • If the scene is not safe, it must be made safe If it cannot be made safe

  28. Check for unstable surfaces, vehicles, and structures

  29. Check for potential fire, electrical hazard, hazardous materials, explosion, and traffic hazards

  30. Use binoculars to identify placards

  31. Hazardous Materials • Use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) to identify the substance

  32. HAZMAT Teams • Allow the HazMat Team to contain the incident

  33. HAZMAT Care • Provide care in a safe area away from the hazard

  34. Crime Scenes and Violence

  35. Crime Scenes and Violence • Have law enforcement secure the scene before entering • Do not disturb the crime scene unless necessary for patient care • Maintain the chain of evidence

  36. Summary • First Responders face stressful situations in carrying out their responsibilities • There are many steps a First Responder can take to maintain health and safety and reduce the effects of stress

  37. Questions?

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