In more than 6,000 public safety answering points (PSAPs) around the nation, an unsung hero plays a key role. They help save lives and property, are masters of multitasking, and serve as a vital link between first responders and the community. This unsung hero is the 911 dispatcher.
Dispatchers’ work environments are often dark, windowless buildings. However, as they intently study at a complicated computer interface and city map, dispatchers must keep calm during stressful situations and possess sound decision-making abilities to route police officers, firefighters, and EMTS to help callers during emergency situations.
Read on to better understand what 911 dispatchers do, the tools they use, and how to improve teamwork among dispatchers and emergency services.
Correctional officers are exposed to a high degree of stress every day. Working long shifts behind walls day in and day out can and does take a toll. Statistics show that correctional officers have higher rates of divorce, PTSD, severe depression and suicide. Much of this can be attributed to stress from traumatic events and/or sustained, cumulative stress.
Critical stress undermines correctional officers’ confidence, resilience and ability to cope. Each aspect of the job, including inmate interactions, workplace environment and resulting home life, can contribute to the build-up of this stress. Without proper support and effort, both officers and the entire organization may experience the consequences of critical stress.
First responders, no matter the role, are some of the truly unsung heroes in our cities and neighborhoods. Whether you’re putting your own lives on the line, providing emergency support or any of the other countless tasks associated with the job, each role is crucial in maintaining a safe place to live and work. However, while being a first responder is a demanding (and rewarding) career, the long hours, the possibility of injuries and the physical and mental traumas that can occur on the job can make it difficult to separate your work life from your personal life.
Michigan Corrections Officers and Forensic Security Assistants are not guards – we are the police force, first responders, and mentors in one, managing incarcerated people.
The Wayne State University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences has teamed with the State of Michigan to develop a comprehensive behavioral and mental health training and support program for the state’s first responders and their families to address the stress they face in their duties protecting residents.
The mental health of first responders is often overlooked. Increases in mental health issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and rates of suicide have prompted research into what first responders need in order to stay emotionally healthy. The time has come to put the mental health needs of our first responders before their call of duty. Exposure to traumatic events has been linked to psychological distress and many frontline workers experience these traumas on a daily basis. Literature suggests that the increased incidences of psychological distress requires extensive scientific inquiry into the mental health of first responders worldwide.
Mental Health First Aid for Fire and EMS focuses on the unique experiences and needs of firefighters and EMS personnel and is a valuable resource that can make a difference in their lives, their families’ lives and the communities in which they live. Firefighters and EMS workers learn about the importance of early intervention and how, as first responders, they can intervene in the field and provide direct assistance to someone who is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.
