Disaster Management Holiday Homework

[Pascua Gomer]

Whilethe program administrators are responsible for the organizational stress management structure, each disaster response staff member is responsible for the implementation of his or her own individual stress management planning.

Rapid heart rate, palpitations, muscle tension, headaches, tremors, gastrointestinal distress, nausea, inability to relax when off duty, trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, nightmares or flashbacks

Disorientation or confusion, difficulty problem-solving and making decisions, difficulty remembering instructions, inability to see situations clearly, distortion and misinterpretation of comments and events

Unnecessary risk-taking, failure to use personal protective equipment, refusal to follow orders or leave the disaster scene, endangerment of team members, increased use or misuse of prescription drugs or alcohol

Research has suggested that about half of the people who work in the traumatic stress field have a history of exposure to traumatic events. For some of these individuals, this can be a risk factor, particularly when events that responders have to deal with are similar to their own experiences. It may be harder for responders in the field to process or be resilient because they are often without their usual supports like family and friends, pets, homes, and other supports.

Some responders may have health vulnerabilities. For example, someone may be diabetic, or have joint or muscle problems, or may be prone to allergies. Still others may have a mental disorder. None of these things makes a person unable to be an efficient disaster worker, but they do mean that workers must be aware of their health needs and respect what they need to do to stay healthy, especially in the field.

If responders are unaware of the need to monitor their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, they may begin to experience difficulties in their work and personal lives. Irritability with co-workers and family members, difficulty performing routine tasks as well as more serious issues such as increased alcohol and substance use, including prescription medication misuse, are common concerns in the disaster responder community. Understanding that these are the shared experiences of many disaster responders can help reduce the stigma and avoidance of talking about and seeking help to address the stress of disaster response work.

Know that when these physical reactions are occurring, your body is telling you that it is time to stop and provide whatever type of self-care you require. Pay attention to the messaging. Sometimes when we are full steam ahead in our work, we disregard when our body is trying to alert us to concerns. Know this and tell yourself that you will stop, listen, and respond.

An effective way to reduce stress is to vary the caseload or outreach to the most severely traumatized versus the nontrauma survivors. The more severely affected disaster survivors that workers are exposed to the more likely they are to experience compassion fatigue and/or secondary traumatic stress. In the field during a disaster, staff may be providing outreach to hard hit communities and everyone they come in contact with may have suffered extensive losses. This can be difficult for the staff day in and day out. Whenever possible, staff should vary their exposure with survivors so they are not always with those most highly affected. This might mean changing the geographic areas they cover every day or every other day to vary the intensity of the exposure. If that is not possible, then use the buddy system. Even switching roles between buddies so that the same responder is not always the one doing the introductions and taking the lead can be somewhat of a relief.

Additionally, when responders are exposed to very distressed survivors, survivors who have suffered the loss of a loved one or other heavy personal losses or those who have very difficult experiences for whatever reason, responders should have more and immediate access to supervision. Supervisors can listen and support responders, help problem solve and make decisions about rotation as well as keeping a worker in the field or not. Supervisors can also mandate rotation and use of benefit time especially when responders will not take needed breaks or remove themselves from difficult assignments.

During the work day, creating balance can be as simple as stopping to take a few deep breaths every couple of hours or using breaks as a time to engage in simple exercise such as walking and stretching (yoga) or even just quieting your mind (meditation and mindfulness). Some people are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to use a gym near the workplace or access a place to swim. Take advantage of such facilities if these are available and you find exercising helps you relax.

We have referred to various stress management techniques in this section. Be aware that there may be many different examples of stress management techniques in the literature. This section contains samples of these tools, but responders should seek additional examples and use what fits their needs best.

In addition to using general stress management technique, disaster responders can look at how their work adds to stress and implement specific ways of thinking and working that can make them stronger in the face of the distressing aspects of their work. We list several ways to address disaster-specific stressors:

Expect, seek, and accept peer support

Responders are stronger when they work in strike teams and task forces that train together and debrief together. Well-functioning responders expect that they will be able to manage their stress better when they seek out help from peers and accept peer support. Peers are our best defense in the field against both physical and emotional pain. Make sure you know who your peers are and if you find yourself working on an isolated job, use the phone or Internet to reach out to those peers who understand and accept you.

These handout templates provide information about stress management and ways of coping. The templates are intended for the general public who may be experiencing disaster distress. Your program logo and contact information can be inserted into the brochures.

SAMHSA's mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.

The Emergency Management Program for the City of Dover encompasses a wide variety of services for the citizens. Such services include response to natural disasters including winter storms, flooding, hurricanes and severe thunderstorms. Manmade disasters requiring emergency response include terrorism, wildfires, utility disruptions and hazardous material leaks and spills. In order to provide public education and minimize the effect of these disasters, while at the same time provide rapid response to these situations, effective management and administration of the program must be achieved.

While the City has worked to prepare for disasters, the City encourages all citizens to individually plan and prepare for unexpected disasters or emergencies. Citizens need to have their own family emergency plan and disaster supply kit in the event of an emergency or disaster. Information on developing a family plan and contents of a disaster supply kit can be found at:

Disaster management involves dealing with and avoiding both natural and man-made disasters through preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. It aims to reduce vulnerabilities and impacts through organized and sustained actions to analyze and manage hazards and the underlying risks. Key aspects of disaster management include preparedness before a disaster through activities like risk assessment, warning systems, and stockpiling resources; immediate response efforts during an event; and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction work after an event to support regrowth. Effective disaster management requires coordination and planning across different levels of government, organizations, and communities.Read less

As our flagship publication, this guide explains in greater detail the steps Canadians should take to become better prepared for emergencies. Included are a Family Emergency Plan template and list of emergency kit items.

Although the consequences of various disasters can be similar, knowing the risks in your region can help you better prepare. Across Canada, we face a number of hazards, such as floods in many provinces, earthquakes in British Columbia, blizzards in Nunavut and tornadoes in Ontario. In addition to natural disasters, there are other types of risks, such as power outages and industrial or transportation accidents.

Some of the risks below may be relevant to your community. Find out which ones by visiting GetPrepared.ca. You may want to identify the most likely ones for easy reference. You may also want to find out how disasters have impacted Canadians. Learn more about disasters, including those triggered by natural hazards, technological hazards or conflict by using the Canadian Disaster Database at:

Use the following pages to create your plan. Most of this information can be filled out on your own. You may need to get some information from your municipality and province/territory about their emergency plans. A list of provincial emergency management agencies is available at the end of this guide.

Keep this document in an easy-to-find, easy-to-remember place (for example, with your emergency kit). Photocopy this plan and keep it in your car and/or at work, and a copy close to your phone. If you completed your plan online, keep an electronic version on your computer.

On this date next year, review your contact information, practise your emergency evacuation plans, change the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, and restock your kit(s). Change the batteries, food and water in your emergency kits once a year.

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