Supporting the Public After Traumatic Events
The theme of this year’s mental health awareness week (12th – 18th May) is ‘community’. We’re pleased to announce that, to help our communities following traumatic events, we’ve launched a guidance leaflet to signpost members of the public to support and advice.
The leaflet was developed in conjunction with the service’s HR department and an operational member of staff who attended an incident whilst off-duty. Group Manager Kevin Yates was reminded just how traumatic these incidents can be for members of the public, and speaking about the incident, he said: “A few weeks ago whilst I was off duty, I came across a road traffic collision (RTC) involving a motorcyclist and felt very exposed without the reassurance I normally feel knowing I have an SWFRS appliance in attendance, and being in work-mode.”
“I assisted with trauma care until help arrived for what was one of the worst RTCs I have seen in several years. Unfortunately, the casualty passed away at the scene. This has had a lasting effect on myself, and no doubt the members of public who assisted me on that day. After dealing with the incident and passing my details to the police there was no mention of, or signposting to, support.”
GM Yates was inspired to work with several key individuals in the service to produce the “information following a traumatic event leaflet”, which will be kept on fire service vehicles to be distributed to members of the public in the unfortunate aftermath of experiencing a traumatic event. The hope is to help direct people to support from external expert organisations, such as Mind and The Samaritans, if and when it may be needed. Importantly, the leaflet also highlights that the negative impact felt after incidents can take hours, days, or even weeks to kick in, and may have a long-term impact than anticipated. Therefore, ensuring that members of the public have something to refer to after they leave an incident is crucial to ensure that they can be supported.
It’s a small act, that we hope will have a big impact.
If you have witnessed a traumatic event and need support, you can download the leaflet here.