Surviving Field Stress for First Responders
Course: WB 1650
CE Original Date: December 16, 2009
Introduction
Surviving Field Stress for First Responders is a continuing-education, video web stream course designed to help first responders and those they assist to be prepared for the stressors of twenty-first century disasters.
Who is this course for?
The target audience for this course is first responders, fire paramedics, police and health-care providers as well as federal, state, and local public health and emergency management officials who may respond to disaster events.
What are the objectives of this course?
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe psychological stress
- Explain common causes of stress
- Describe the mental and physical health effects of excessive stress
- Describe the social, physical, and emotional causes of first responders stress
- Identify methods to cope with field related stress
- Identify strategies for assisting members of the public (adults and children) with disaster-related stress
What is this course about?
First responders to a traumatic emergency event apply their public safety and medical expertise under incredibly stressful conditions. This course was designed to prepare first responder to deals with the physical, emotional, and mental stressors they face when called to a technological and natural disaster. It gives practical coping strategies and resources for dealing with stress.
The course consists of a two hour webcast. You can view the webcast straight through for its entire length or you can watch it in sections. The webcast has seven segments that can be viewed separately at your leisure but all seven segments must be viewed in order to apply for continuing education credits.
Also, there are supporting course materials that are not required for the course but are there for extra information if you are interested. These extra materials include the slides embedded in the webcast, a transcript of the webcast, and a reference manual with extra information on topics covered in the webcast.
Webcast Segments | [Completion Time] |
Introduction Cdc-media[WMV – 7.4 MB] | [7.36 minutes] |
Segment 1-What is Stress Cdc-media[WMV – 15 MB] | [15.34 minutes] |
Segment 2- Stressors Affecting Disaster Responders Cdc-media[WMV – 31.6 MB] | [32.27 minutes] |
Segment 3- Managing First Responder Stress Cdc-media[WMV – 27 MB] | [28.02 minutes] |
Segment 4- Helping the Public During a Disaster Cdc-media[WMV – 16.5 MB] | [17.02 minutes] |
Questions Cdc-media[WMV – 12.6 MB] | [12.55 minutes] |
Who developed this course?
This course is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and was developed in conjunction with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine (ATSDR/DTEM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health (CDC/NCEH), and the Public Health Training Network (PHTN).
Presenters include:
- Pamela G. Tucker, MD, Medical Officer, DTEM, CDC/ATSDR
- Scott V. Wright, M.S., EMT-P, Emergency Response Coordinator, DTEM, CDC/ATSDR
- James R. MacDonald, M.S., On-Scene Coordinator, Emergency Response Region 7, EPA
CDC/ATSDR Author(s):
- Pamela G. Tucker, MD
CDC/ATSDR Planners:
- Charlton Coles, Ph.D.
- Sharon L. Hall, Ph.D.
- Barbara M. Riley, RN
- Delene Roberts, MSA
- Jan Schubert
- Oscar Tarrago, MD, MPH, CHES
- Pam Tucker, MD
Slide Presentations
- Segment 1-What is Stress Cdc-pdf[PDF – 367 KB]
- Segment 2- Stressors Affecting Disaster Responders Cdc-pdf[PDF – 285 KB]
- Segment 3- Managing First Responder Stress Cdc-pdf[PDF – 472 KB]
- Segment 4- Helping the Public During a Disaster Cdc-pdf[PDF – 461 KB]
Scripts
Resource Materials
Medical Disclaimer
The medical information provided in these courses is for educational use only.
For more information on product limitation, please see the full disclaimer.
Contact Information
For additional information about Environmental Medicine Education Products, please email atsdrdtemce@cdc.gov.