International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
By: Frank “Marty” Lennard, Park Ranger, Florida Park Service
As an employee of the State of Florida with the Florida Forest Service, I have received a great deal of training as both a Wildland Fire Fighter and Park Ranger. During our training we were taught that some stress and a slight rise in blood pressure are a component of decision making and the speed in which some decisions are made. Each person is different in how they deal with the added stress and type of incident to which they are responding.
As a student majoring in Counseling Psychology, I have learned the phrase “The Body Keeps The Score”, this is where the stress and anxiety we put our bodies through can and will have negative effects not only mentally but physically as well. As a First Responder to all Hazards, I have been on hurricane details, wildfires, and trauma cases involving head injuries and broken bones along with serious lacerations and an amputation. Forestry here in Florida uses the AAR or After-Action Review at the end of each day or work cycle to give all those involved on the incident or training exercise a voice as to what happened and why it happened. I myself have used the AAR at the end of a work cycle to decompress and rid my body and mind of the stress associated with the incident.
One of the biggest lessons that I have learned happened on a trauma incident at our Off Highway Vehicle area. A man in his mid-thirties, with a group of friends crashed his dirt bike and was thrown into a tree injuring his left leg. As the first on scene, I became the incident commander and took over scene control. I was accustomed to my normal crew being with me on other incidents but on this day, I forgot about our new employee who had only been with forestry for a few days before walking up on this man screaming in pain. Turns out the man had shattered his pelvis.
As I am on my knees behind him accessing the situation and trying to keep him still, because I thought he had broken his femur and I did not need him nicking his femoral artery. The injured rider was with three or four friends, and they were not looking good either. I noticed these guys turning white and one was starting to shake. I started telling the injured rider I was going to get his wife to sell me his bike. His friends then joined in, and we all started a bidding war, the injured rider stops screaming in pain and starts telling us he wants more money. By doing this I got the minds of those involved on a different subject averting shock to both the injured and non-injured. The new employee was white as a sheet and her mouth was moving but no words came out, I knew then that I needed to care for her as soon as the paramedics took over the scene. In the process of dealing with the injured rider I forgot to look out for my partner. who was having difficulty, I realized to late that one of my own was having difficulty dealing with the scene. I have learned which of my partners can handle the sight of blood or listen to an injured person in pain while offering aid until the emergency personnel arrive on scene. Under stressful situations we have to remember the injured party may not be the only victim of the incident that we have to care and look out for.
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