GUIDE TO BUILDING AN Effective EMS Wellness and Resilience Program

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Terk

Guide to Building an Effective EMS Wellness and Resilience Program by NAEMT outlines why EMS work creates intense physical, mental, and emotional stress and why agencies must protect their workforce. It explains definitions of wellness and resilience, common sources of stress, and practical steps to start programs, including culture building, checklists, counseling and life coaching, social connections, resiliency training, EAP roles, and critical incident stress management. It also covers physical health supports such as fitness, nutrition, smoking cessation, sleep, fatigue management, community engagement, and additional resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Connection Between Physical, Mental and Emotional Health

Defining Wellness and Resilience

Sources of Stress and the Impact on Employers and Employees

Getting Started

Building a Culture of Wellness and Resilience

Program Start-Up Checklist

Mental and Emotional Health

Counseling & Life Coaching

Social Connections

Resiliency Skills Training

The Role of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Extreme Reaction to Stress: PTSD

Critical Incident Stress Management

Memphis Fire Department Critical Incident Stress

Debriefing SOP

Indian River County Fire Rescue Critical Incident Stress Debriefing SOP

Physical Health

Fitness

Nutrition/Weight Loss

Smoking Cessation

Sleep and Fatigue

Engaging the Community

Additional Resources

GUIDE TO BUILDING AN Effective EMS Wellness and Resilience Program 2 The guide is a project of NAEMT’s EMS Workforce Committee. NAEMT extends a sincere thank you to its members for contributing their insights and expertise. • Mark (Ronald) Health: Chair • Sean Britton • Charlene Cobb • Craig Dunham • Dieter Friton • Garrett Hedeen • Kris Kaull • James Slattery • Mike Szczygiel • Mike Thomas • Jason White Thank you to the following agencies for sharing their wellness and resilience best practices: • Indian River County Fire Rescue, Vero Beach, FL • JanCare Ambulance Service, Beckley, WV • Memphis Fire Department, Memphis, TN • Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, West Palm Beach, FL • Royal Ambulance, San Jose, CA • Sunstar Paramedics, Largo, FL • Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, Bayfield, CO P. O. Box 1400 Clinton, MS 39060-1400 [naemt.org](naemt.org) /NAEMTfriends /NAEMT_ 1-800-346-2368 Copyright © 2019, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. All rights reserved. Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 The Connection Between Physical, Mental and Emotional Health Defining Wellness and Resilience Sources of Stress and the Impact on Employers and Employees 6 Getting Started Building a Culture of Wellness and Resilience Program Start-Up Checklist 8 Mental and Emotional Health Counseling & Life Coaching Social Connections Resiliency Skills Training The Role of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) Extreme Reaction to Stress: PTSD 12 Critical Incident Stress Management Memphis Fire Department Critical Incident Stress Debriefing SOP Indian River County Fire Rescue Critical Incident Stress Debriefing SOP 16 Physical Health Fitness Nutrition/Weight Loss Smoking Cessation Sleep and Fatigue 19 Engaging the Community 20 Additional Resources NAEMT . ORG | GUIDE TO BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE EMS WELLNESS AND RESILIENCE PROGRAM INTRODUCTION Introduction The greatest asset of any EMS agency is its people – the EMS practitioners and other personnel who are there for members of the community during their worst moments, and who ensure their patients receive high-quality, compassionate and life-saving care. However,“being there” for patients and their family members and friends during medical emergencies is inherently stressful. EMS practitioners often work under difficult, unpredictable and rapidly changing circumstances. They may work in harsh environments, with limited information, assistance and resources. In the course of their work, they may be exposed to risks such as infectious disease, physical violence, occupational injury, vehicle crashes and death. They may be called on to help the victims of traumatic events, such as those who have experienced a natural disaster, serious motor vehicle collision, abuse or violence. EMS practitioners also run the risk of becoming victims of violence at the hands of patients who are inebriated or having a mental health crisis. To be able to effectively handle the stress associated with working in EMS, EMS personnel benefit from having good physical, mental and emotional health. The State of EMS Health and Well-Being In recent years, there’s been growing concern within the EMS profession about the physical, mental and emotional health of our nation’s EMS workforce – and whether EMS agencies are doing enough to protect it. 􀂄 A 2015 survey of EMTs and paramedics published in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) found a high rate of suicidal thoughts among EMS practitioners. The survey found that 37% reported having contemplated suicide, nearly 10 times the rate of American adults, while 6.6% reported having attempted suicide. That’s compared to just 0.5% of all adults. 􀂄 In 2016, NAEMT’s National Survey on EMS Mental Health Services found that 37% of EMS agencies provided no mental health support for EMS practitioners, and 42% provided no health and wellness serv

FAQs

Why does the guide emphasize physical, mental, and emotional health for EMS personnel?

EMS practitioners face inherently stressful and unpredictable conditions, including risks of injury, violence, infectious disease, and exposure to traumatic events. The guide states that effective stress handling depends on strong physical, mental, and emotional health.

What program components are recommended to build a resilience and wellness culture?

The guide includes steps for developing a culture of wellness and resilience, a program start-up checklist, and specific strategies such as counseling and life coaching, social connections, resiliency skills training, and using employee assistance programs (EAPs).

How does the guide address extreme reactions to stress and critical incidents?

It covers extreme stress reactions such as PTSD and provides critical incident stress management approaches, including debriefing SOPs shared by EMS agencies.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Terk