ON-SITE MANAGEMENT
Minimizing personnel exposure to these stressful incidents results in few stress-related
problems. Command should reduce this exposure by rotating personnel and by removing
initial personnel from the scene as soon as possible.
Any personnel directly involved in high-stress incidents (particularly examples
1 through 4 on previous page) should be considered as high priority for immediate
removal from the scene. Relief from duty for these personnel may also be a consideration.
Examples 1 through 4 should always be evaluated by behavioral health professionals
to determine a need for early intervention and debriefing.
On-site evaluation and counseling by a debriefing team member should also be
considered for some critical incidents when time and circumstances permit. In
such situations, debriefing team members can observe, watch for acute reactions,
provide support, encouragement, and consultation, and be available to help resting
personnel deal with stress reactions. Team members should be considered a resource
available to command for assignment to the Rehab, Welfare, or other sectors
as needed.
ACTIVATION OF THE DEBRIEFING PROCESS
Company Officers, Command Officers, Debriefing Team members and Base Hospital
Coordinators bear the responsibility for identifying/recognizing significant
incidents that may qualify for debriefing. When an incident is identified as
a "Critical Incident" (as described), a request for debriefing consideration
should be made as soon as possible.
Any Command Officer may initiate the debriefing process. For serious events,
this can be done from the scene by contacting the Alarm Room. Company officers
whose crew may have experienced a traumatic event may also initiate the debriefing
process by contacting their supervising chief officer. The debriefing team will
then be contacted and the incident will be evaluated for the level of debriefing
required. The specific debriefing services utilized will depend greatly upon
how early the team is activated, and the nature of the incident.
Any member who feels a need for an individual, confidential, debriefing may
initiate the process by contacting the contracted professional counseling staff
directly. Phone numbers are listed in the "INFO" files of the CAD system under
"Info Debriefing".
The Personnel Services Division and/or the Operations Division will be responsible
for coordinating the debriefing process, follow-up care, and other support functions.
DEBRIEFING ATTENDANCE
Attendance to a debriefing is MANDATORY for all personnel who were directly
exposed to the traumatic aspects of an incident or otherwise identified as a
person suffering symptoms. Exceptions may be granted following assessment by
the debriefing team.
DEBRIEFING
Critical incident debriefing is not a critique of Fire Department operations
at the incident. Performance issues will not be discussed during the debriefing.
The debriefing process provides formats in which personnel can discuss their
feelings and reactions and, thus, reduce the stress resulting from exposure
to critical incidents. All debriefings will be strictly confidential.
Several types of debriefings may be conducted depending upon the circumstances
of a particular incident. They may be conducted on an individual one-on-one
basis or, more typically, in small groups of not more than 25 members. The
following five types of debriefings, singularly or in combination, are most
commonly utilized:
- On-Scene or Near-Scene Debriefing: (see "On-Site Management")
- Initial Defusing: Conducted shortly after the incident. Primarily
informational. An update and status report on the incident and related
injuries. A brief review of stress related symptoms will be provided by
a professional counselor. More intense debriefing may be provided on an
individual basis as requested by a crew member or as the need is observed
by the debriefing team during the defusing meeting.
- Formal Debriefing Meetings: Conducted within 72 hours
of incident. Confidential non-evaluative discussion of involvement, thoughts,
and feelings resulting from the incident. Also, discussion of possible
stress-related symptoms.
- Follow-Up Debriefing: Conducted weeks or months after incident,
concerned with delayed or prolonged stress symptoms, may be done informally.
