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

Employees Action to Reduce and Manage Stress

1. Introduction

Many Canadians have experienced the effects of mass emergencies and disasters such as the ice storm, fires, floods, a massive power outage and SARS.  Large scale emergencies and disasters are being shaped by many factors such as urbanization, population growth, global economies, technologies and travel. New and old risks are merging with our changing world to create new versions of hazards including pandemics and biological or cyber terrorism.

In Canada we have been improving our response to mass emergencies and disasters by developing stronger emergency management programs.  A vital part of Canada's emergency management system is the Emergency Responders who not only respond to emergencies but are also committed to preventing and preparing for complex emergencies and disasters.

2. Resilience and Federal Emergency Responders

Emergency Responders are well trained professionals with the specialized knowledge to deal with a wide range of emergencies and disasters.  These professionals typically understand the challenges of their work and effectively manage the demands and stresses they face.  Research and experience in the field has shown that Emergency Responders are a resilient group of professionals.

Resilience is an acquired ability to overcome adversity using practical skills and social support. Resilience includes several capacities: having effective problem solving and communication skills; being able to manage strong feelings and impulses; believing in oneself as a capable person; and having a sense of optimism.  These are skills that can be learned and developed. Most importantly, resilience requires having relationships in which one feels supported and valued. Research indicates that these resiliency skills and capacities are often found in Emergency Responders.

3. Purpose of this guide

This practical guide provides a brief review of resilience, the stress of disaster work and healthy coping responses.  It is designed to be helpful to the individual emergency responder and their teams.  This guide is based on growing research on disaster mental health, traumatic stress in emergency services and best practices for psychological-social (psychosocial) support and interventions. This information is organized around what individuals can do before, during and after disasters and mass emergencies. There are also useful tips for the families of emergency responders.¹