PurposeHow firefighters cope with critical incidents is partly influenced by the culture of the fire brigade. The purpose of this study is to better understand how informal peer support helps firefighters cope with critical incidents.Design/methodology/approachAn ethnographic field study of explorative nature was conducted. Data were collected by means of 20 participating observations and 72 interviews with Dutch firefighters from 37 different fire brigades. The analysis was an iterative process alternating data collection, analysis and theory formation processes.FindingsFirefighters will turn to informal peer support to cope with critical incidents provided that facilitating circumstances are present and there is adherence to certain implicit rules. The collective sharing of memories, whether immediately post-incident or after the passage of time, helps firefighters process critical incidents and serves to promote unit cohesion. Most firefighters reported these informal debriefings to be preferable to the formal sessions. By comparison, a minority of firefighters reported that they did not benefit at all from the informal interactions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study only focused on the informal peer support given by colleagues. Future research should focus on: (1) The possible differences between men and women as to what extent informal peer support is experienced after critical incidents, (2) Commanding officers: how do they, given their hierarchical position, experience coming to terms with critical incidents, (3) Premeditated critical incidents and the role of informal peer support, (4) Similarities and differences between career and non-career firefighters in experiencing and coping critical incidents.Practical implicationsFirefighters are an under-researched group in academic literature, that would benefit from mental health counsellors having a better understanding of their unique work culture and the complexity of the firefighting profession. More knowledge about the role of informal peer support is necessary to tailor help and aftercare more effectively to their needs.Originality/valueMost studies confirm the importance of informal peer support when coping with critical incidents. This study provides initial, in-depth evidence of the role of informal peer support in helping firefighters cope with critical incidents.

Firefighters encounter critical incidents as part of their work. Little research has been conducted into the impact of critical incidents on firefighters' well-being and performance. The goal of this study is to gain in-depth understanding of firefighters' experiences with critical incidents and their impact on both individual firefighters and their crews. Data were collected by means of 20 participant observations and 72 interviews with Dutch firefighters from 37 different fire stations. Whether an incident is experienced as critical depends on the type of incident, the personal situation and the circumstances of the incident. Directly or indirectly, experiencing a critical incidents impacts firefighters during and after the incident, both professionally and personally. Experiencing critical incidents affects the dynamics within a crew. Knowledge about their impact is necessary to tailor help and aftercare more effectively to firefighters' needs.

Firefighters are reluctant to talk about firefighters’ humor with outsiders. This closed attitude has led to a lack of understanding of this important coping strategy in the outside world. It is not clear how firefighters experience humor and its role as part of the fire service culture and why they consider humor to be important when coping with critical incidents. Data has been collected by means of 20 participant observations and 72 interviews with Dutch firefighters from 37 different fire stations. Joking culture and joviality are important elements of the Dutch fire service culture. Firefighter humor usually creates unity, but can also lead to exclusion. Whether a joke is perceived as funny depends on who makes the joke, the moment, the content, and the frequency of the joke. Black humor is used as a means to start a conversation and, indirectly, to make it possible to discuss emotions and it tends to positively influence group dynamics. However, black humor is absent in the case of certain critical incidents because of personal boundaries and unwritten rules. The absence of humor is a sign for the crew commander to pay extra attention to coping.

The differences between noncareer firefighters and career firefighters are unclear when it comes to experiencing critical incidents and the role of informal peer support in the processing of such incidents.To investigate these differences, data were collected by means of 20 participating observations and 72 interviews with Dutch noncareer and career firefighters from 37 different fire stations. The mindset with which they ride to an incident, the local bond between the involved firefighters, and previous experiences with critical incidents vary for noncareer firefighters and career firefighters, influencing how they experience and process critical incidents. During their service, career firefighters get support from their peers more readily than noncareer firefighters, who meet less often and for shorter periods. Management has less oversight on noncareer firefighters, making it harder to determine whether they need aftercare. The personal environment plays a larger role in the processing of incidents among noncareer firefighters than among career firefighters. It is concluded that incidents are experienced as critical by both categories of firefighters, albeit for different reasons. Both impact and processing of incidents are related to the social ecology in which firefighters work. Insight into these differences helps optimize the help and aftercare for these first responders. Public Significance StatementThis study illustrates why a noncareer or a career capacity influences firefighters' experiences with critical incidents and the role of informal peer support in processing them. These insights enable mental health professionals to gain a better understanding of the unique work culture of the fire service and its assistance and aftercare in order to be more attuned to the needs of firefighters.