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NAEMT extends a sincere thank you to its members for contributing their insights and expertise.  \n• Mark (Ronald) Health: Chair  \n• Sean Britton  \n• Charlene Cobb  \n• Craig Dunham  \n• Dieter Friton  \n• Garrett Hedeen  \n• Kris Kaull  \n• James Slattery  \n• Mike Szczygiel  \n• Mike Thomas  \n• Jason White  \nThank you to the following agencies for sharing their wellness and resilience best practices:  \n• Indian River County Fire Rescue, Vero Beach, FL  \n• JanCare Ambulance Service, Beckley, WV  \n• Memphis Fire Department, Memphis, TN  \n• Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, West Palm Beach, FL  \n• Royal Ambulance, San Jose, CA  \n• Sunstar Paramedics, Largo, FL  \n• Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, Bayfield, CO  \nP. O. Box 1400  \nClinton, MS 39060-1400  \n[naemt.org](naemt.org)  \n /NAEMTfriends  /NAEMT_ 1-800-346-2368  \nCopyright © 2019, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. All rights reserved.  \nTable of Contents  \n3 Introduction  \n4 The Connection Between Physical, Mental and Emotional Health  \nDefining Wellness and Resilience  \nSources of Stress and the Impact on Employers and Employees  \n6 Getting Started  \nBuilding a Culture of Wellness and Resilience  \nProgram Start-Up Checklist  \n8 Mental and Emotional Health  \nCounseling & Life Coaching  \nSocial Connections  \nResiliency Skills Training  \nThe Role of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)  \nExtreme Reaction to Stress: PTSD  \n12 Critical Incident Stress Management  \nMemphis Fire Department Critical Incident Stress  \nDebriefing SOP  \nIndian River County Fire Rescue Critical Incident Stress Debriefing SOP  \n16 Physical Health  \nFitness  \nNutrition/Weight Loss  \nSmoking Cessation  \nSleep and Fatigue  \n19 Engaging the Community  \n20 Additional Resources  \nNAEMT . ORG | GUIDE TO BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE EMS WELLNESS AND RESILIENCE PROGRAM  \nINTRODUCTION  \nIntroduction  \nThe 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.  \nHowever,“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.  \nTo be able to effectively handle the stress associated with working in EMS, EMS personnel benefit from having good physical, mental and emotional health.  \nThe State of EMS Health and Well-Being  \nIn 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.  \n􀂄 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.  \n􀂄 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","cbCaiqSeroOW1LTS","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiqSeroOW1LTS","pdf",6039583,21,"English","# Introduction\n## The Connection Between Physical, Mental and Emotional Health\n## Defining Wellness and Resilience\n## Sources of Stress and the Impact on Employers and Employees\n# Getting Started\n## Building a Culture of Wellness and Resilience\n## Program Start-Up Checklist\n# Mental and Emotional Health\n## Counseling & Life Coaching\n## Social Connections\n## Resiliency Skills Training\n## The Role of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)\n## Extreme Reaction to Stress: PTSD\n# Critical Incident Stress Management\n## Memphis Fire Department Critical Incident Stress\n## Debriefing SOP\n## Indian River County Fire Rescue Critical Incident Stress Debriefing SOP\n# Physical Health\n## Fitness\n## Nutrition/Weight Loss\n## Smoking Cessation\n## Sleep and Fatigue\n# Engaging the Community\n# Additional Resources","[{\"question\":\"Why does the guide emphasize physical, mental, and emotional health for EMS personnel?\",\"answer\":\"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.\"},{\"question\":\"What program components are recommended to build a resilience and wellness culture?\",\"answer\":\"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).\"},{\"question\":\"How does the guide address extreme reactions to stress and critical incidents?\",\"answer\":\"It covers extreme stress reactions such as PTSD and provides critical incident stress management approaches, including debriefing SOPs shared by EMS agencies.\"}]","GUIDE TO BUILDING AN Effective EMS Wellness and Resilience Program | PDF",1790161767,53]