Public safety is an essential component of our society. The mental and physical sacrifice first responders make to serve, protect, and care for our communities is incredibly honorable. Establishing programs, setting expectations, and providing access to relevant resources that support the psychological and physiological wellbeing of first responders is critical to the success of the individual and agency and must be treated as a top priority by the entire chain of command.
It’s no secret that first responders often experience critical incidents, triggering events, and traumatic stress at a higher rate than the general population due to increased exposure to high-stake, challenging, and dangerous situations on the job. The fast-paced environment of public safety that often prevents first responders from properly recovering from a critical incident also lends to risk factors that result in reports of depression, PTSD symptoms, suicidal ideation, and other health conditions.
Read this white paper to learn what first responders and public safety agencies can do to help better navigate critical incidents.
