Practice is an important element in success. A football team practices plays over and over again to have their playbook memorized. An actor practices lines until they are memorized. Practicing response as a public safety professional is no different.
Firefighters, police officers and EMTs must train extensively on a myriad of topics to be both effective and remain safe. Law enforcement officers perform active-shooter drills; firefighters hold live-fire training burns; and EMTs simulate mass casualty incidents to be prepared to respond in any situation. Yet, one of the most damaging experiences for these men and women is one that very few actually prepare for.
Public safety personnel are often exposed to horrific scenes in the line of duty. These professionals respond to tragic events that permeate all senses including sight, sound and smell. Unfortunately, there is little-to-no training offered to adequately prepare public safety professionals to process trauma. This training gap doesn’t make sense: firefighters, EMTs and police officers are far more likely to experience trauma, so why is there not more training to prepare them?
Read the full article at FireRescue1.
