![]() ![]() Individuals that experience secondary stress may re-experience the trauma or become triggered by other experiences that make them re-experience the trauma. The symptoms of secondary trauma closely mimic the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The National Traumatic Stress Network (NTSN) defines secondary stress as the emotional duress that occurs as a result of one individual that hears about the traumatic experiences of another individual firsthand. ![]() ![]() DanTest, a company that manufactures products that measure physiological responses, says that untreated chronic stress “has been linked to the onset and development of a multitude of physical, behavioral, and mental ailments including diabetes, depression, migraines, hypertension, oncological formations, gastric ulcers, heart pathology, and more.” Secondary Trauma Chronic stress exacerbates the dispatcher’s physiological reactions. Emergency dispatchers take so many calls in quick succession that they take the stress home with them, go to bed with it, and wake up with it the next morning. When stress is increased in quantity and degree, it grows accumulatively and causes a type of stress called cumulative stress. Smith adds that destructive behaviors such as apathy, isolation, and substance abuse come to the surface when caregivers fail to practice self-care. Smith defines compassion fatigue as “symptoms of normal displays of chronic stress resulting from the care giving work we choose to do.” Dispatching emergency teams to crisis callers certainly falls into that definition. Compassion fatigue is vicarious traumatization-the emotional strain of those that help others going through a traumatic event. Patricia Smith, founder of The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, says that caring too much can hurt. To better understand the impact of stress on the emergency dispatcher, consider the types of stress that comes with this type of work. Nearly every occupation involves some degree of stress. Emergency dispatchers have the disadvantage of an on-the-job hazard with a triple threat of stress. The stress encompasses sharing the caller’s trauma, compounding that stress with repeated calls, and suffering the after effects of secondary trauma. By the time the scene has cleared, emergency dispatchers may have taken a dozen more crisis calls with no time in between to decompress their adrenalin and emotions. When emergency responders arrive on the scene, the caller gets immediate help in resolving the crisis. Behind the soothing voice, adrenalin is pumping full force, as the dispatcher struggles to find the balance between hope and fear.Ī 2014 report by the Office of the Auditor in the city and county of Denver showed that the average response time for a priority 9-1-1 call was just under 13 minutes. For the length of the call, the emergency dispatcher is the voice of calm that assists the caller in managing the crisis until help arrives. The response from the caller is usually a frantic, distraught voice of someone who needs help right away. The dispatcher answers the call and calmly asks what the emergency is. Every 9-1-1 call begins exactly the same. ![]()
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