The Saint Lucia Fire Service Association has expressed concern over the impact on firefighters and ambulance personnel from repeatedly responding to traumatic events.
According to SLFS data, as of August 28 this year, there were 577 trauma responses to incidents involving vehicles and motorcycles.
The second most prominent trauma response category was physical assaults – 141, followed by 42 shootings, 40 stabbings, and 26 choppings.
“As a firefighter myself, I have seen the anxieties that come with colleagues responding to those incidents,” Fire Service Association Chairman Shane Felix told St. Lucia Times.
Felix explained that in addition to the impact of traumatic events on responders, there is concern regarding the automatic mechanisms some individuals employ to cope, including seeking to block out the stress.
He spoke of witnessing fatigue, anxiety, and burnout among his colleagues, noting that they want debriefing sessions after traumatic events responses.
In this regard, Felix welcomed the arrangement allowing firefighters to request counseling under a Ministry of the Public Service programme introduced a few years ago.
He also observed that through a recent Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) project, psychologists would be attached to the Saint Lucia Fire Service due to long delays in counselling under the Public Service Ministry arrangement.
“A firefighter may respond to two or three incidents within a week and, having requested counselling, may have to wait a week or two,” the Fire Service Association Chairman told St. Lucia Times.
Felix hoped that in the future, there would also be other initiatives to address fire service emergency responders’ health care and mental wellness.
I have brought this up to various departments before, council ling. Prayers don’t heal these situations period, it is something you have to live with until you die. Unless you can find an activity to occupy your mind it is the only way to heal somewhat but from the time you’re in silent mode or alone, it only takes a second to have a flash back and you become mentally paralinguistic. I’ve been there and I know it, like the old saying who feels it knows it. But the paramedics are not the only ones, police, doctors, autopsy doctors… It’s not good but we have to live through it. No medicine or prayers can fix that. Believe me!
In an editorial not too long ago in reference to a chopping incident, I made mention of the mental health of the professionals attending those horrific incidents. How they cope day in, day out with all the gruesomeness they encounter. Now that the crime wave is reeking havoc in our society, they (Public service professionals) are inevitable going to experience more traumatic events. More needs to be done to help those excellent public service professionals who put their lives, emotions, psyche, mental health on the line to serve the nation. I do admire the strength and courage that you all exhibit.
This article instantly brought to my mind, the saying: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
If the SLFS can’t do the job they are getting paid for, they should stop whinging, and find suitable janitor jobs; the only jobs that should not bring them stress they want to avoid.
@ Nudge— that’s a savage and inconsiderate statement you have made. Imagine as a first responder being called to a tragic accident scene and you are trained to deal with the carnage, wrecked metal, steel, glass everywhere, blood everywhere and you are helping a dead victim into a gurney, you grab that victim and when you turn the victim over YOU see that its your wife? your aunt? your brother? your best buddy? I am no EMT, i am war vet and I know trauma. You spoke pure nonesense @ nudge!!!!
@Anti-Nudge: I am sorry that your traumatic experience (is it PTSD?) has colored your opinion of my response regarding the SLFS members’ lack of preparedness to successfully handle all aspects of the jobs they supposedly trained for, and hopefully, adequately recompensed for.
I fail to see how your being a veteran of war has any bearing on the SLFS & their job specifics. Please tell us what war you were veteran of, so I can better respond to your criticism of my comment.