How Rescue Teams Handle Psychological Stress in High-Pressure Situations

Rescue teams are usually the first responders in very challenging situations. This means they have the biggest influence on how successful the rescue attempt is, but also means they are exposed to the most extreme impacts of a given incident or situation. The physical condition of a person in need of rescue, or the way in which they are having to react, can be harrowing to witness and can have long-term psychological effects on those exposed to it. This can also affect how the rescue team focuses and deals with the rescue attempt. For this reason, rescue teams face unique pressures and responsibilities, and are also exposed to unique emotional challenges.  

A major part of training programmes for rescue teams focuses on these unique challenges and how stress and anxiety needs to be managed in order for rescue team professionals to be effective, and to perform at their best in the future.    

Why is it important for rescue teams to manage psychological stress?

The mental and physical health of individual rescue team members can be impacted by several elements of their primary role. These include: 

• Pressure – The pressure of situations where their performance is critical, potentially in saving someone’s life. 

• Responsibility – The importance of a rescue team member brings a heavy burden of responsibility.  

• Unpredictable – The unpredictable nature of what a rescue team may encounter. 

• Exposure – An almost constant exposure to trauma and stress. 

It is therefore essential that rescue team members are able to recognise their feelings and have tools in place to enable them to manage these feelings. This helps them to perform effectively in high-pressure situations, and to recover from trauma in order to continue performing effectively.  

Tools used by rescue teams to manage their mental wellbeing

Rescue teams can be exposed to serious injury and fatality, the potential for serious injury or fatality, and people trapped in situations which require carefully considered actions where timing and detailed execution is critical. There are various strategies and techniques in which rescue team members are trained, which enable them to better manage trauma and to maintain stability and focus when encountering high-pressure situations. These include: 

• In-the-moment strategies

In a high pressure situation a rescue team member can feel a rush of adrenaline which, combined with varying degrees of panic, could make it hard to maintain focus. Rescue team training will therefore involve using techniques such as controlled breathing, grounding techniques, breaking down a crisis situation and repeating tasks so that they fall into muscle memory. Controlled breathing works to lower heart rates and restore calm and clarity of thought. Grounding techniques use physical and mental cues to ensure you can focus on specific tasks without your mind spiralling into panic. Breaking down a crisis splits a potentially overwhelming situation into smaller segments which are more manageable, while repeating tasks enables a person to fall back on established procedures in order that they make the right and safest decision in a high-pressure situation.   

• Defining team roles

All team members have specific roles and responsibilities in a rescue situation, and it is important that these are clearly defined. Having a support system in place is an essential part of this and enables team members to have the psychological assistance they need. Peer support systems work by providing a framework for team members to immediately support each other and improve morale in potentially traumatic situations. Having clearly defined roles also reduces individual stress because everyone has clarity in what is expected of them and others. Having strong leadership roles also means team members are supported, directed properly and have good communication channels.     

• Post-rescue analysis and feedback

How a rescue team analyses and learns from a rescue incident is important in how they deal with it next time, and therefore how psychological stress is managed. A quick debrief immediately after an incident enables the team to process what happened without a culture of blame, but there should also be a more formal programme of trauma risk management, whereby individuals who need further support are identified and provided with suitable intervention. Team members should also be encouraged to express their emotions through an outlet that suits them. This could be talking, writing or other forms of creative expression. This will help to release emotions and prevent long-term trauma developing.    

• Building resilience

The ultimate aim of rescue team training is that individuals are able to perform their tasks effectively over a long-term period, and this includes psychologically. Training should include simulations of real-life situations which provide exposure to high-pressure, through which resilience and a sense of ‘normality’ can be built. Team members should also be trained to recognise signs of stress or burnout in themselves and others. This includes being able to set boundaries and find a suitable work-life balance which encourages rest, and which could also include other health and wellbeing programmes, such as fitness and nutrition. These all provide a better resilience to physical and emotional strain.    

In addition to these various training strategies and structural programmes an organisation should put in place, professional rescue teams should also be provided with signposting to professional support if they need it. This can be in terms of mental health and post-trauma support. 

Professional rescue team training

All these strategies can combine to improve decision-making and resilience and ensure rescue teams are effective in the moment, and in the long-term. If your rescue team members require specialist training in these areas, contact our team at Civil Safety today.