Critical Incident Stress Management
First Responders Resilience Center (FRRC) can help you and your department in the wake of a crisis. We are available to respond on scene or to your department. We can work with you and your department on pre-incident preparedness, acute crisis management, and post-crisis follow-up. First responders cannot avoid critical incidents in their work; however, the stress created by the critical incident can be managed. FRRC works with individuals impacted by a crisis and enables them to return to their regular functioning and lessen the impact of critical incident stress.
Dr. Pytal has provided Critical Incident Stress Management support to the Alpha Critical Incident Stress Management Team in New Jersey, Concerns of Police Survivors, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC, the Apollo Critical Incident Stress Management Team in New Jersey, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other local police departments in New Jersey.
What is a Critical Incident?
Emergency services organizations, for example, usually list the Terrible Ten.[1] They are:
- Line of duty deaths
- Suicide of a colleague
- Serious work-related injury
- Multi-casualty / disaster / terrorism incidents
- Events with a high degree of threat to the personnel
- Significant events involving children
- Events in which the victim is known to the personnel
- Events with excessive media interest
- Events that are prolonged and end with a negative outcome
- Any significantly powerful, overwhelming distressing event
If you are wondering whether you or your department can benefit from FRRC’s Critical Incident Management Program call us. We would be happy to discuss your needs.
Dr. Pytal has received specialized training in Critical Incident Stress Management for Emergency Services from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. She is a huge activist for early intervention in trauma. She has spoken at state and national conferences on this topic. As both a first responder and a psychologist, Dr. Pytal has a multifaceted perspective of the impact that critical incidents have on a person.
1. Mitchell, Jeffrey T. “Stress Management” (PDF). Szkoła Główna Służby Pożarniczej. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2009.