PSU team: An offer from emergency services for emergency services
© Daniel Herrmanns
Psychosocial support is rarely needed after stressful firefighting operations. Nevertheless, everyday firefighting operations are often accompanied by the distress of others, human suffering or death. In order to help other people, firefighters are often exposed to danger and extreme situations themselves. They experience critical situations much more frequently than most other professional groups. All of this can be stressful.
That is why we offer psychosocial support for all colleagues. This support is the offer of a discussion partner "at eye level". Team spirit is one of the elementary foundations of the fire department. In order to be able to process the stressful events, it is usually sufficient to talk to colleagues. We also offer confidential support in cases of bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination and addiction. In a few cases, however, psychological help may also be necessary. Appropriate contacts can be arranged.
What is behind it?
Stressful deployments can be any event that does not fit into the framework of normal deployment experiences.
They cause horror, great fear, helplessness or even feelings of guilt and sometimes "pull the rug from under the feet" of the person concerned.
How can you recognize psychosocial stress?
- Stress reactions such as sleep disorders, nightmares, concentration problems, irritability, aggressiveness, jumpiness
- Behavioral changes such as social withdrawal, changes in smoking, eating and drinking habits, sexual reluctance
- Physical reactions such as the "strange" feeling in the stomach, crying, trembling, sweating
- Memories that keep coming back like images, sounds, smells, circles of thoughts
- Confusing sensations such as the impression of being beside oneself, numbness, the idea of "being in the wrong movie", uncertainty
These stress reactions are a normal reaction to an abnormal event! They usually disappear on their own within a few weeks. In some cases, a post-traumatic stress disorder can develop, which requires professional treatment.
What we do for our colleagues
We offer collegial help, stress prevention, recommendations and supportive measures for coping with stress and reducing stress reactions. These include
- a sympathetic ear
- Spontaneous individual and group discussions
- Operational support/intervention
- Planned briefing after an event or deployment
- Planned, structured debriefing a few days after the incident or operation
- appropriate follow-up offers
- Mediation of suitable treatment options
- Information/education and training
The PSU team of the Aachen fire department
We are ...
... PSU assistants and peers and experienced emergency personnel who are familiar with everyday operations and have special additional training.We work ...
... according to uniform NRW standards, confidentially and collegially, independently, attentively and non-denominationally.Our goals are ...
... to provide advice and support and to be available as a contact person at eye level, to stabilize and normalize, to mitigate the effects of an event and finally to reduce the stress disorder, to find the way back into everyday life and to restore performance.
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