There is a perpetuity of tradition that states that in emergency situations, those who are most in need of counselling and psychological support are the victims of the calamity. It is a tradition rooted in logic and scientific validity and has proved to be invaluable in ensuring the recovery of individuals impacted by extenuating circumstances. While the critical nature of this outreach is ubiquitous in its global practice, what is equally recognised and adhered to in many countries is the obverse aspect of emergencies — addressing the psychological needs of the personnel dealing with the situation.
It is heartening to note that the UAE is pursuing the latter with vigour as the immediate counselling provided to the firefighters, who rescued 300 passengers and crew of Emirates Flight EK521 that was involved in an incident after landing in Dubai on August 3, has proved. Helping emergency personnel too to cope with post-traumatic stress is an integral response to achieve a healthy society given that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is as much a reality in the wake of a tragic incident as is the incident itself.
It is true that men and women who work as emergency responders — whether in law-enforcement, firefighting, accidents or natural disasters — need to be trained to handle emergencies, but this does not make them impervious to the effects of loss and grief. Being exposed on a regular basis to danger, human loss and devastation can take their toll even on the most trained responder. Some experts call this vicarious traumatisation (VT) as emergency personnel are indirectly exposed to the victims’ acute losses.
What compounds the problem is that apart from having to deal with people’s losses, in some instances, emergency personnel have to also deal with the loss of their colleagues. This can impact their sense of kinship and throw a shadow in their minds on the rewards of courage. In the August 3 incident, the death of one firefighter, Jasem Al Beloushi, left the team in deep shock.
Numerous studies have shown that lacking an effective support system, emergency responders can develop negative attitudes, both as individuals and as part of their workforce, which can have a debilitating impact on societal well-being at micro and macro levels.
Given this context, the authorities did well in promptly dealing with the emotional fallout. Their response showed that in the face of unpredictability, what saves the day are clear thinking and effective responses.
