的 Human Impact in Emergency Incident Response: Part Two – Ten Tips on Taking Care of Emergency Response Team Members

In 第一部分 of this series on the Human Impact in Emergency Incident Response, I discussed a critical but under-considered aspect of emergency planning: the importance of providing support to your emergency response teams. Working long hours in an intense environment is physically and emotionally exhausting, and responding to an incident can be a traumatic experience for team members. Providing support to response teams ultimately helps reduce stress, 保持决策能力，防止倦怠.

To help ensure a healthy team and effective incident response, here are ten strategies I recommend including in your organization's emergency response plans and training.

1. Train responders on how to prepare loved ones for their emergency response work. 当需要不定期工作时, setting expectations in advance with loved ones can potentially reduce stress for the responder.
2. 确保员工解除全职工作. 因为事件响应可能会耗费大量精力, coverage of an employee's regular duties should be clearly defined so the employee can stay 100% focused on the response. This is best communicated through policies directed to managers with staff in on-call responder positions.
3. 有健康的食物和零食选择吗. To keep going with irregular hours, emergency responders need access to healthy food. Also, the Command Center needs to make certain enough food is available for everyone.
4. Provide vitamins, supplements and plenty of over-the-counter pain relievers. Working in an intense, stressful environment can negatively impact the body. Incorporating a list of supplies into the response plan can help ensure responders get what they need to stay healthy.
5. Ensure responders take breaks and do not work beyond their designated shifts. With adrenaline flowing, it's easy to omit breaks and work well past the end of a shift. But that often leads to burnout and a less effective response. Predetermining a work schedule and integrating some control around the number of hours worked will help reduce stress and fatigue.
6. Create a consistent schedule early on, giving responders a day or two off. 与前一点类似, the team will need one or two days off to physically and mentally recover during a long-term response.
7. 提供其他支持服务，如洗衣, transportation or accommodations near the Command Post/Emergency Operations Center. Include up-to-date contact information for these resources in response plans and make it easily available to the Command Center. For this purpose, using a concierge or a response plan software solution like SMARTPLAN^TM 是理想的.
8. 提供现场 心理健康专业人员. 在我 最后发表, I discussed how intense incidents can be triggering for employees experiencing difficult situations in their personal lives – particularly incidents where there are decedents. On-site mental health resources can help mitigate trauma for responders.
9. 提供现场按摩治疗师. Command Center staff can experience significant stress when managing an intensive response spanning many hours over many days. Having a licensed massage therapist available to provide shoulder and neck massages can be very welcome.
10. Educate the team on how to identify and respond to stress/trauma. 符合上述建议, all team members should share a knowledge base on the signs and dangers of stress. Teammates can observe each other and identify individuals who are overly fatigued or need help. Emergency planners and responders should also be familiar with the concept of psychological first aid to assess immediate concerns for both disaster survivors and first responders. 的 美国心理学会 和 疾病控制中心 offer great resources for taking care of your own and others' mental health needs during an emergency response.

Implementing procedures and safeguards that provide adequate care for emergency response teams increases the chances of having a more effective response and sets employees up to successfully transition back into their day job. 在我 next post, I'll provide tips to help responders recover and return to their everyday routine.