First responders
First responders are skilled persons who, during the early phases of managing an emergency, clinical care, or public health, provide instant supportive services in case of accidents or medical emergencies. Basically, they are educated to offer medical care to the sick until the experienced medical providers arrive at the scene or in hospital. The first responders usually take up the most significant hits when they are dealing with destruction and deaths that occur naturally or through human-made calamities (Rivera, & Kapucu, 2015). However, they are always affected or suffer after the crisis has passed; this is when they begin experiencing the impacts of PSTD.
The local agencies can assist these first responders by offering them advice on how to deal with such stresses by educating them so that they can acknowledge the symptoms that are associated with this duty; there are specific types of feelings such as
- Secondary traumatic anxiety- This is a stress reaction and symptom that results from one exposure to another Person’s traumatic experiences instead of direct exposure to distressing activities.
- Burnout’s: it’s the feeling of intense tiredness as well as being besieged
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Therefore agencies have to recognize as well as offer their first responder’s free health as well as mental assistance to deal with the problems they undergo (Crichton, Lauche, & Flin, 2005). Most importantly, every individual within an agency has to be educated on the following symptoms and signs such as;
- Easy frustrations
- Depression, apathy or sadness
- Irritability
- Indifferent or the absence of feelings
- Disconnecting with people or friend or isolation
- Poor hygiene
- Being overwhelmed or exhausted or tired
- Having an attitude like you are personally not doing a job well
- Nothing you can personally do will assist
- One is always in need of drugs or alcohol to cope with the situation.
Moreover, agencies must get concerned and establish plus promote friendship systems to ensure workmate’s mind about their partners and also be alert concerning their friends or workmates’ continuing symptoms. Most importantly, supervisors and managers should be at the forefront to ensure they encourage individuals to take a stand for the individuals who come forward because they have been affected by the experiences of first responders and advising as well as helping them so that responders are aware they won’t be judged or isolated, but they will be assisted to walk over their challenges and be better again (Liu, 2009).
In conclusion, it worth knowing that the first responders are always at the greatest risk because of the dangers and experiences they get from their jobs. Thus they require maximum support and help regardless of their status, whether they have shown signs of effects or not. They should be given constant counseling and guidance on how to cope with their job conditioned so that they aren’t victims, yet they are mandated to help victims of disasters.
References
Crichton, M. T., Lauche, K., & Flin, R. (2005). Incident command skills in the management of an oil industry drilling incident: A case study. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 13(3), 116-128.
Liu, B. F. (2009). An analysis of the US government and media disaster frames. Journal of Communication Management.
Rivera, F. I., & Kapucu, N. (2015). Disaster vulnerability, hazards, and resilience. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.