Hotline

International Critical Incident Stress Management Team Coordination Center

24 HOUR

EMERGENCY HOTLINE:

(410) 313-2473

Managed by:
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.

Operated by:
Fire and Police Communications Center Howard County, Maryland

What is a Critical Incident?

Tragedies ... Deaths ... Serious Injuries ... Hostage Situations. People who respond in emergencies encounter highly stressful events almost every day. Sometimes an event is so traumatic or overwhelming that emergency responders may experience significant stress reactions. These events are known as "Critical Incidents."

Emergency personnel who have these normal, although uncomfortable, stress reactions to extraordinary events are often confused by the changes they notice in themselves and others. Fortunately, help is available!

Over 400 specially trained Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Teams throughout all fifty states and in 16 other countries are prepared to assist emergency workers or organizations faced with a stressful incident. A 24-HOUR HOTLINE allows the emergency personnel to link up with this network of CISM teams.

Services Provided by Coordination Center

Assistance in locating local CISM support
Maintenance of the CISM Team Registry
Coordination of CISM teams in areas where there are no known CISM resources
Provision of immediate stress consultation to emergency service organizations

Recognizing Critical Incident Stress

Critical incidents may produce a wide range of stress symptoms, which may appear immediately at the scene, a few hours later or within days of the incident. Stress symptoms usually occur in four different categories: Cognitive (thinking), Physical (body), Emotional (feelings) and Behavioral (actions). The more symptoms experienced, the more powerful the stress reaction. The longer the symptoms persist, the more potential there is for lasting harm. The following is only a sample of stress symptoms that can show up after a critical incident.

Cognitive poor concentration memory problems poor attention span difficulty making decisions slowed problem solving difficulties with calculations	Emotional guilt grief depression anxiety/fear loss of emotional control feeling lost/overwhelmed
Physical muscle tremors chest pain gastro-intestinal distress difficulty breathing headaches elevated blood pressure	Behavioral excessive silence sleep disturbances unusual behaviors changes in eating habits withdrawal from contact changes in work habits

Stress Survival Suggestions

When emergency personnel experience significant stress from a critical incident, the following steps may help to reduce the stress until the incident is over or until a trained CISM team is located.

Limit exposure to sights, sounds and odors
Provide an immediate rest break of at least 15 minutes
Have a friend stay with the distressed person
Provide fluids, non-alcoholic and non-caffenated
Provide foods low in salt, sugar and fat
Allow the person to talk about the experience
Do not rush the person to return to work
Protect the person from bystanders and the media
Reassure the person that the stress experience is normal; most people recover very well from stress
Show appreciation for the person's work
Do nothing to embarrass the person
Help the person make decisions

Using the Emergency Hotline

Any emergency services organization or individual may use the 24-Hour Emergency Hotline to call for assistance or information:

If they need to know the location and contact numbers for a CISM team during an emergency
If a situation distresses emergency workers and they need some guidance in working through the stress

Statement of Referrals

ICISF and Howard County, Maryland do not certify or qualify the competency of the individual members of a CISM team. Referrals are made subject to the determination by the requesting emergency service organization or individual as to whether a particular team should be used.

For additional critical incident stress information of a routine nature, please call (410) 750-9600.

The International Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team Coordination Center has been made possible by the combined effort of two major groups. The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. provides training for the communications personnel and ongoing management of the Center in Howard County, Maryland. The Fire and Police Communications Center provides 24-Hour-A-Day operation of the Center.