Been in a CISD?

[n7lxi]

Thanks for all the the responses and comments y'all. I think it was an interesting subject for us to research and write about. This was obviously an "opinion paper" so we all developed our own argument as to why we thought CISD was good or bad.

Surprisingly, I was one of the few that thought the CISD process might not be such a good idea. I read most of the other papers and many in my class think CISD is just great.

Oh, and I did get an A.

Again, thanks for all of your help, and I think this topic this sparked a good discussion as well.

For those of you who are interested in the base set of interview questions I used to prepare my paper, here they are.

Thanks you for offering to help with research for my CISD position paper.

These questions should be answered based upon your own experience with CISD, not what “you think your should answer should be”. There is no right or wrong, it’s about your personal experience with the CISD process.

I do need your name and some demographic information for citation purposes, however any personal information will be redacted from any public display of this paper (i.e.: on the EMTcity forums)

Please answer all questions to the best of your ability. If you prefer to skip a question, please answer with ‘SKIP’.

Your name:

Your agency and position:

Years in EMS:

If you have been involved in more than one CISD, please select one instance to answer the following questions.

Briefly describe the event that lead to your attending a CISD:

Was the CISD a mandatory event for all responders?

Did all responders attend? If no, how many of the responding group did attend?

How long following the event did your CISD take place?

Was it held at your station or facility or at an “off site” location?

Who was the CISD facilitator or leader, and what were his or her credentials?

How long did the CISD event last?

Without divulging any details that you feel are too personal to share, please describe the CISD process as your remember it.

Immediately following the CISD, how did you feel about your involvement in the initial incident?

How did you feel about the CISD process immediately following the CISD?

Did you speak with your co-workers about the incident or the CISD process after the CISD?

If so, what was the overall opinion of the efficacy of the CISD process?

In your opinion, was the CISD a useful event?

What could your department or CISD facilitator have done to improve on that instance of CISD?

Have you attended multiple CISD events?

If yes to above, have all CISD events been similar or very different? If different, please elaborate on the differences.

Do you feel it’s more effective to take part in a formal CISD or just “talk it out” with your co-workers in an informal setting?

Following the CISD did you view your co-workers differently?

Were you reluctant to speak or share in a CISD due to how you may have been viewed by your co-workers?

Following a critical incident, would you suggest all responders take part in a CISD?

Has your involvement with a CISD changed the way you feel about your job?

Again, thanks for helping with this project. If I have follow up questions to elaborate on your answers, may I send an additional email?

[RavEMTGun]

Congratulations on your A. Good work!

[Dustdevil]

Very cool. Nice work. And kudos to your school for promoting such individual research projects.

[1EMT-P]

I've been involved in a number of incidents & I can tell you from experience that I did not find them that helpful... I've found that taking time away, breathing, reflecting & talking with my co-workers & friends was more helpful...

[itku2er]

on the A wtg.

[capfiremedic]

I came in a bit late on this thread, but I'd like to throw my 2 cents in anyway. I came into this business back in 1975. My company was the only one in the region that required their people to be Nationally Registered EMT's with an ambulance rating (REMT-A). Ya I'm that old...

After some of the particularly bad calls, especially fatalities, the young EMT (me included) felt we'd screwed something up. It ain't supposed to go this way. Sure as hell didn't happen like that on "Emergency!"... The visual queues were there for others to see, and the older more experienced hands would take the younger one aside and have a chat. After the shift was over, the crews would assemble at the debriefing site (Ye Old Watering Hole & Beer Can Museum) and with the assistance of some adult libation, work their way through the situation. It had the advantage of solidifying unit integrity, passing on knowledge and just reinforcing trust between parners and coworkers. We truly were family. If one hurt, then we all felt it. And we worked thorough it together, as a unit and family.

I don't believe that having a Phd, licensed counselor, or church choir is needed to help in this situation. I have seen some supposed CISD "teams" that were nothing more than a recruiting team for a church under another name. These agencies do much more harm than good IMHO. But, one doesn't throw the baby out with the bath water.

A CI team need to be made up of experienced people from the immediate field of service. It does little good for a cop to work with a young firefighter that just hauled out his forst "roast", nor does it do much good for an EMT to work with a cop that just dropped the hammer on a suspect. While we are all emergency services, our job functions and experiences vary greatly. As should a crisis intervention team. I've seen things in my 35 years of service that no one should have to. I've been a victim and survivor, as well as initial responder to the largest natural disaster this nation has had. I've been shot at, stabbed, burned, brained and beaten. And what seems funny now, but sure as hell didn't at the time, came face to face (in the most literal sense) with a lizard that easily could have eaten my fat ass for lunch. You'll have to ask my laundry lady about my reaction to that one...

I still have nightmares about the things I've been through. But I've been able to make friends with many of the ghosts. In a strange way, I'm thankful I've had some of the reactions I've had because they still show that I'm a human being. The day I don't care anymore is the one I need to hang up my gear and get out of it, because that's when I've become a liability to my team.

Properly done, and not forced upon a person, CI can be a beneficial service. And it should be offered. But a blanket requirement to participate is not only wrong, but an insult to the worker. Many of my old partners are still in the business and feel the same way that I do. CI has it's place, but as far as I['m concerned, the best intervention we can have is our own people... There when you need them and with the same experiences. The family....

Just another point of view...

[Richard B the EMT]

Perhaps a bit late to add, there was a call that perhaps they should have offered a CISD to me: The American Airlines Flight 587 Crash in Belle Harbor, November 12, 2001. If they did offer it to me, I must have somehow missed it, as it was within the 3 months following the World Trade Center attack, and the entire country was affected in some way, whether any individual wants to admit it or not.

For the record, I was not a part of the Rescue/Recovery operation at the WTC; I didn't even drive by the site until July of the following year. 3 persons personally known to me died at the Trade Center. As to the Belle Harbor crash, I didn't know any of the 260 from the plane, and none of the 5 killed on the ground ( As I have mentioned numerous times following the fact, I live a half mile from the scene of the crash).