Preparing for the Stress of Disasters and Mass Emergencies - Federal Emergency Responders

Notice to the reader: The content found on this page is a snapshot of the document as it was presented to the public at the time of publication. The Workplace Health and Public Safety Programme (WHPSP) became the Emergency Preparedness and Occupational Health Directorate (EPOHD) in 2010. Find more information on EPOHD's roles and responsibilities.

Employees Action to Reduce and Manage Stress

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Resilience and Federal Emergency Responders
3. Purpose of this Guide
4. Preparedness - Before the Disaster
   • 4.1 Stress Education and Prevention
   • 4.2 Emergency Event Conditions that may Increase the Level of Stress
   • 4.3 Common Stress Reactions
   • 4.4 Traumatic Stress: Experiencing or Witnessing Life Threatening Events
   • 4.5 Personal Action to Prepare For, or Reduce Stress Before a Disaster
5. Minimizing Stress during the Disaster Response
   • 5.1 Individual Actions During the Crisis
   • 5.2 Family Considerations if the Disaster is Affecting Your Community
6. After the Disaster: Reducing Stress and Reconnecting
   • 6.1 Individual and Family Steps to Recover and Minimize Stress
   • 6.2 After the Disaster -- What to Watch Out For
   • 6.3 Recovering from Disasters and Low-risk Drinking Guidelines
   • 6.4 When to Seek Help
7. References