Dealing with Stress When You
are a First Responder

First responders are exposed to highly stressful events in the course of their routine duties.  There are specific situations that increase chances of traumatic stress: having no control over the volume of calls, being in the service for a long time, being in a situation where one feels helpless in the face of overwhelming demands, working without the support of administration, or having administration question one's actions in an investigation:

Physical Symptoms:
Chills, fatigue, nausea, fainting, twitches, headaches, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, teeth grinding, visual difficulties, profuse sweating, and difficulty breathing.

Cognitive Symptoms:
Confusion, nightmares, uncertainty, suspiciousness, poor problem solving, impaired abstract thinking, difficulty with numbers, poor concentration, memory problems, disorientation, difficulty identifying objects or people, heightened or diminished alertness, higher or lower awareness of surroundings.

Ways to Cope:

• Limit on-duty work hours to no more than 12 hours per day

• Rotate work from high-stress to lower stress functions

• Rotate work from the scene to routine assignments, as practicable

• Use counseling assistance programs available through your agency

• Drink plenty of water, and eat healthy snacks like fresh fruit, whole grain breads, and other energy foods.

• Take frequent, brief breaks from the scene, as practicable

• Talk about your emotions to process what you've seen and done

• Stay in touch with your family and friends

• Participate in memorials, rituals, and use of symbols as a way to express feelings

• Pair up with another responder so that you may monitor one another's stress.