peers in the local offices
Your last assignment was stressful, you may need help processing it?
We mountain rescuers are repeatedly confronted with difficult situations during our operations. We were trained for this and we are basically used to dealing with it. However, there are situations that arise suddenly and unexpectedly or are so intense and stressful that they lead us to our limits.
Your last assignment was stressful, you may need help processing it?
Every mountain rescuer reacts to particularly challenging missions. The following reactions are possible, among others:
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Sleep problems or nightmares
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Self-blame and fear of failure
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Difficulty concentrating and extreme fatigue
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Increased aggressiveness
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Frightening and tenseness
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Change in eating and drinking behavior
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Memories that come by themselves (triggered by: smells, sounds, photos)
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anxiety
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Avoidance behavior and fear of the next mission
These are all normal reactions to an abnormal event!
Your last assignment was stressful, you may need help processing it?
The stress on mountain rescuers is sometimes very high compared to other rescue organizations, due to the often long and strenuous deployment on the one hand and the often intensive contact with the injured or dead on the other.
The risk to yourself from weather and other environmental conditions is an additional challenge. In some operations, rescues and removal of the deceased must be expected right from the start (long-lasting search operations, falls, avalanches, etc.), which sometimes causes great psychological stress during and after the operation.
In particular, missions in which one is exposed to great danger can be experienced by comrades as a great psychological burden.
Your last assignment was stressful, you may need help processing it?
As mountain rescuers, missions can leave traces that can be dealt with better with good support. The Upper Austria mountain rescue therefore offers its employees help from their own ranks. Specially trained, experienced comrades - so-called“Peers” [speakPiers] - stand forSvE measures (stress processing after stressful operations) available. When those affected have conversations with these peers, many things are resolved more quickly and it is easier to process what they have experienced. If more support is required, peers can also quickly and easily organize additional (external) support.
Your last assignment was stressful, you may need help processing it?
After the following operations, in addition to the regular debriefings within the local office, it is also recommended to actively offer support from mountain rescue peers to mountain rescuers who have been deployed and who have been particularly stressed. Peers can also support mountain rescuers on long missions.
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Long operations under dangerous or very difficult conditions (weather, recovery technology, rockfall, ...)
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Operations in which the victim is known to the rescuers
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Operations with children (as injured people or as relatives on the mountain)
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Operations with (expected) dead rescues (e.g. search operations in the event of suspected suicide or mountain climbers falling, etc.)
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Operations in which accidents, injuries or deaths of rescue workers have occurred.
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Operations that (can) be perceived as particularly stressful due to specific events
Your last assignment was stressful, you may need help processing it?
Our peers, stationed in several local locations, are available to talk to mountain rescuers.Just talk to us or give us a callif you personally need a supportive, structuring conversation!Peer conversations are confidential conversations!
Peers can organize support from Crisis Aid Upper Austria. You can also contact crisis support directly and anonymously.
Operations manager of mountain rescue operations, in or after which support from SvE is required, request this either via direct telephone contact with the SvE management (tel. number see below) or alert SvE via the state control center 140. The coordination of the peer deployment is then carried out by the management of SvE.
George Mathes
Coordinator SvE (stress management after stressful assignments)
Contact person for the Salzkammergut area
Emergency paramedic WCC, teaching paramedic WCC
academic certified expert for crisis intervention
Instructor for crisis intervention and SvE ÖRK, KH Bad Ischl
Tel: +43 664 965 3226
DI Christian Mlinar
Coordinator deputy SvE (stress management after stressful assignments)
Contact person for the Kremstal area
Deputy local manager Steyrling Mountain Rescue
WCC crisis intervention staff
Tel: +43 664 8321 984
