"A sight you'll never forget". Why firefighters experience certain incidents as critical and the impact of such incidents on individual firefighters and fire crews

Abstract

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.

“The profession is just different”: Why noncareer and career firefighters have different experiences with critical incidents, and the role of informal peer support in processing them.

“…Although Dutch noncareer and career firefighters both follow the same training, and despite the fact that they usually have the same tasks package and provide assistance in similar incidents, there are different reasons why they experience incidents as critical:Mindset and switching moments. The context in which noncareer firefighters and career firefighters receive notice of an incident and then come into action (ride to the incident) is different, thus potentially affecting the impact of an event (stress reaction; Dangermond et al, 2022c). This is in line with the speculation of Stanley et al (2017) that the immediate switch from civilian life to the first responder condition may generate a more shocking experience.Local bond.…”

“…They also come into contact with the victim, their next-of-kin or acquaintances, and/or the incident location, as a result of which they are confronted with the incident in a private context. Previous research shows that incidents are experienced as critical when, for example, acquaintances are involved in the incident (personal loss; Dangermond et al, 2022c). Experience.…”

“…Previous research shows that career firefighters have greater exposure rates to critical incidents than noncareer firefighters, which results in fewer stress reactions for career firefighters (Dyregrov et al, 1996). However, incident-related stressors (e.g., type of critical incident) and personal circumstances (both at work and at home) are also strong predictors of mental health problems (Dangermond et al, 2022c; Fraess-Phillips et al, 2017). Repeated exposure to trauma can have a cumulative impact on the psychological well-being of firefighters (Jahnke et al, 2016; Milligan-Saville et al, 2018).…”

“…Repeated exposure to trauma can have a cumulative impact on the psychological well-being of firefighters (Jahnke et al, 2016; Milligan-Saville et al, 2018). There is a tipping point: If several, serious incidents take place within a certain period of time, this can be experienced as critical (cumulative effect; Dangermond et al, 2022c). The present study evidences that career firefighters who are also active in a noncareer capacity are more prone to having to deal with this cumulative effect.…”

“…Against this background, the present article asks the following question: What are the differences between noncareer firefighters and career firefighters in terms of experiencing critical incidents and the role of informal care support in processing such incidents? This research further elaborates on two studies that describe (a) what makes firefighters experience certain incidents at work as so critical that the incidents impact them as well as the crew they are part of (Dangermond et al, 2022c) and (b) the role that informal peer support plays in the processing of critical incidents among firefighters (Dangermond et al, 2022a).…”