For too long the dangers caused by the stress that goes with the job of firefighting have either been played down or completely ignored. All the available evidence suggests that responding to critical incidents can trigger extreme emotional reactions in the mind of the emergency worker, which in turn can have profound consequences for that worker’s future. Without a prompt and professional response to this level of stress, emergency responders can be left with permanent mental baggage that damages their personal relationships and seriously reduces their ability to cope with the demands of the job. Critical incident stress, according to experts, is now the biggest single issue that has to be addressed in order to prevent good people from leaving the emergency services.
Critical incidents can be defined as once-off situations which are far beyond what is normal or expected in the line of duty.

They can include the sudden death of a co-worker, a particularly gruesome injury involving a child, exposure to Violence or witnessing a disaster that involves multiple casualties. Critical Incident stress should not be confused with cumulative stress, which is something that is built up over time. Firefighting often involves the use of technical rescue skills that do not necessarily involve close physical contact with the dead or injured. This does not mean, however, that they have less emotional involvement than that experienced by ambulance personnel. A simple thing such as the patient putting his hand on the rescuer’s arm can break down all emotional barriers. And the longer the victim of an accident remains on the scene, the more difficult it is to continue without being affected.
Professional firefighters can usually detach themselves emotionally for as long as it takes to get the job done. In the heat of the moment, their training takes over their thoughts and actions. The process of stress has already begun, however, even if it doesn’t make itself known until the aftermath when people sit down to think about what has happened.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) has a clearly defined set of symptoms which affect the way people think, the way they feel, the way they perform. It’s a disorder that can only be precipitated by a major trauma. People who suffer from PTSD often begin to feel cut off from the rest of their group. They re-live the trauma by having nightmares about what happened as well as daytime flashbacks. They may begin to feel confused about their job and have doubts about its value. Physically they experience hand tremors, headaches and stomach upsets. They imagine family members in place of the victims they’ve seen and feel overprotective towards them. Other symptoms are avoidance of places and people associated with the event, inability to recall details of the trauma, feelings of detachment, estrangement, sleeplessness, irritability and emotional numbness; exaggerated startled response; hyper-anxiety; and difficulty in concentrating. It’s an extremely disturbing condition and can leave the victim feeling completely disoriented.