What makes a call
a critical incident.
A critical incident isn't defined by how bad it looks on paper — it's defined by how it lands. The same call can be routine for one member and significant for another, depending on personal history, what else is going on in their life, and how many similar calls they've absorbed over their career. There is no hierarchy of legitimacy here.
What counts as a critical incident
The formal definition is an event that overwhelms the normal coping mechanisms of an individual or crew. Your CIRM program defines qualifying incidents to include, but not limited to:
It doesn't have to be a single call
Your CIRM program explicitly covers cumulative incidents — not just the obvious single catastrophic event. The research on first responder trauma is consistent on this point: it is almost never one call that breaks someone. It is the accumulation of calls over months and years, many of which seemed manageable at the time, that eventually tips the load past what the nervous system can absorb quietly.
If you can't point to one incident but you know something is off — sleep disrupted, mood changed, things that used to matter don't anymore — that is a cumulative stress response, and it qualifies. The CIRM program is available to you. So is WorkSafeBC CIR. You don't need a single identifiable event to make the call.
Most people who experience a critical incident will have a stress response. That response is not a malfunction. Here is what it typically looks like over time.
Acute stress response
Intrusive replay of the incident, heightened alertness, difficulty sleeping, emotional numbness or blunted affect, physical restlessness or fatigue. You may feel fine immediately after — the body's adrenaline response often masks the psychological load for 24–48 hours. The "I'm okay" on scene is often not the full picture.
Processing phase
Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, mild avoidance of reminders, irritability, difficulty concentrating. Some emotional distance from people you're close to. This is the body and mind working through a significant event. For most people, these symptoms reduce gradually without intervention. Sleep disruption is common and can amplify all other symptoms.
The threshold that matters
If significant symptoms persist beyond 30 days — intrusive memories, nightmares, active avoidance, persistent hyperarousal, emotional numbing — that is the clinical threshold where professional support becomes important, not optional. This is not about willpower. The brain's threat-processing system has gotten stuck in a loop, and that loop responds to specific, evidence-based interventions.
PTSD — a treatable injury
PTSD is not a character failure. It is a predictable physiological outcome of significant trauma exposure — one with a well-established mechanism (hyperactivation of the amygdala and disruption of normal memory consolidation) and highly effective treatments. EMDR and trauma-focused CBT have response rates above 80% in clinical trials. The problem is not that it's untreatable — it's that most people wait far too long to treat it.
This is your mind doing its job
- Replaying the call in the days afterward
- Difficulty sleeping for 1–2 weeks
- Feeling emotionally flat or disconnected temporarily
- Not wanting to talk about it right away
- Being irritable or short-tempered at home
- Thinking about what you could have done differently
- Symptoms that gradually reduce over 2–4 weeks
This is where support changes outcomes
- Still having intrusive memories or nightmares after a month
- Actively avoiding anything that reminds you of the call
- Feeling emotionally numb or cut off from people you care about
- Difficulty feeling positive emotions — not just sadness
- Constantly on guard, easily startled, unable to relax
- Symptoms getting worse over time rather than better
- Using alcohol or other substances to manage sleep or mood
Before anything else, this is the number to know.
Free. Confidential. No employer notification.
WorkSafeBC's Critical Incident Response (CIR) program provides immediate access to professional counselling following a traumatic workplace incident. It's voluntary, anonymous to your employer, and available well beyond the immediate aftermath of an incident.
You must initiate contact within 3 weeks of the incident — but once your case is open, the 5 hours of follow-up support can be used anytime after that. You don't need a diagnosis or to meet a threshold. If a call is affecting you, that is enough reason to use this resource.
Call WorkSafeBC CIRNWFRS has a formal Critical Incident Response Management (CIRM) program. Knowing the process removes the uncertainty. Here's exactly how it works.
On scene — the OIC reduces exposure
The Officer in Charge will minimize crew exposure without compromising operations — rotating personnel, removing the first-responding unit from scene as soon as possible, and pulling unnecessary personnel back. This is deliberate and it's part of the protocol. The OIC also notifies the Platoon Captain.
Platoon Captain briefs the Duty Chief
The Platoon Captain contacts the on-call Duty Chief and provides a briefing on the incident and which members were involved. The chain moves quickly — this isn't bureaucracy, it's the system activating to get the right support to the right people.
Duty Chief activates the CIRM team
The Duty Chief, in consultation with the Platoon Captain, can place a unit out of service, replace staff if needed, and will notify the CIRM team member(s) from the daily roster to respond. If no one is available on the roster, a team member is contacted directly. The Fire Chief or designate is also notified at this point.
Defusing — the first conversation
A CIRM team member will conduct a one-on-one defusing with members involved or affected. This is a private, confidential check-in — not a formal assessment, not group therapy, not a paperwork exercise. The goal is to ground, normalize, establish support options, and figure out whether a full debriefing is needed. Attendance is voluntary. Nothing you say leaves that conversation.
Debriefing — if the incident warrants it
If a full Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is needed, it's scheduled 24–72 hours after the incident and led by a qualified WorkSafeBC mental health professional with CIRM team support. It's a group process for those directly involved — an opportunity to debrief the psychological impact of the call, receive education, and get referrals. Voluntary, confidential, and structured specifically for this purpose. The Duty Chief contacts WorkSafeBC CIR (1-888-922-3700) to arrange it.
Follow-up — and your own access
The CIRM team does follow-up after defusings and debriefings. But you don't need to wait for the system to come to you. WorkSafeBC CIR (1-888-922-3700) is available directly — 7 days a week, 9AM–11PM. You must call within 3 weeks of the incident to open a case, but once open, the 5 hours of follow-up support can be used anytime after that. No referral, no captain's sign-off, no employer notification. If symptoms persist beyond 30 days, a formal WorkSafeBC OSI claim may also be appropriate — your union can support you through that process.
Defusing vs. Debriefing — what's the difference
Defusing is one-on-one, happens shortly after the incident, and is led by a CIRM peer support team member. It's informal — a confidential check-in to see how you're doing, normalize what you're experiencing, and connect you with options. Think of it as making sure no one falls through the cracks quietly.
Debriefing (CISD) is a structured group process, scheduled 24–72 hours post-incident, and led by a WorkSafeBC mental health professional. It's for everyone directly involved in the call, and it goes deeper — processing the psychological impact as a crew, with clinical support in the room. Both are voluntary. Both are confidential.
Signs to take seriously — in yourself or a crew member
The fire service is not good at flagging distress — in ourselves or others. The culture rewards stoicism, which makes these signs easy to rationalize away. Don't.
Significant behavior change after a call
Withdrawal, unusual irritability, drinking more, avoiding station or crew. Behavior changes are often the first observable signal — and the one most commonly dismissed as "just tired."
Intrusive thoughts or nightmares lasting weeks
Unwanted memories of a specific call that keep returning — while awake, while trying to sleep, triggered by unrelated stimuli. After 3–4 weeks, this is not going away on its own.
Emotional shutdown or numbing
Stopped caring about things that used to matter. Flat affect at home. Not angry — just blank. This is often more alarming to family members than it is to the person experiencing it.
Hypervigilance that doesn't reset
Constantly scanning. Unable to sit with back to the door. Startling easily. Can't relax even in genuinely safe environments. Normal on-scene; a problem when it's always on.
Self-medication with alcohol or substances
Using alcohol to sleep, to stop thinking about a call, or to feel normal. Not recreationally — functionally. This is the brain trying to solve a problem. The problem still needs addressing.
Statements about hopelessness or not caring about survival
"I don't care what happens to me." "Everyone would be better off." Even indirect — risk-taking behavior, not wearing gear properly, volunteering for hazardous tasks without normal caution. Take these seriously.
Sometimes you're not the one struggling — you're the one who noticed. That matters, and it's worth knowing what to do with it.
You don't need to be certain to say something
The fire service culture makes it easy to rationalize away what you're seeing in a colleague — they're still showing up, still doing the job, probably just tired. That instinct to not make it a big deal is exactly what allows people to deteriorate quietly for months or years without anyone saying anything directly.
You don't need to be certain something is wrong. You don't need a diagnosis, a checklist, or a plan. You need to be willing to have an awkward conversation. Most people who are struggling are waiting for someone to notice — and the fact that you're reading this page suggests you already have.
Say it directly
Vague check-ins are easy to deflect. "You doing okay?" gets "Yeah, fine." Try something more specific: "I noticed you've seemed off since that call last week. I'm not going anywhere — what's going on?" Direct questions get real answers more often than open-ended ones.
Listen more than you talk
Your job in that conversation is not to fix anything, offer solutions, or reassure them everything will be fine. It's to make them feel heard without judgment. Resist the urge to share your own similar experience unless they ask — keep the focus on them.
Don't minimize or problem-solve
"Everyone feels like that sometimes." "You just need to get some sleep." "Have you tried working out more?" These responses, however well-intentioned, communicate that what they're experiencing isn't serious enough to warrant real attention. They close the conversation down.
Connect them — don't just refer them
There's a big difference between "you should call WorkSafeBC" and "let me sit with you while you make that call." If someone is reluctant to reach out on their own, offering to help them take the first step dramatically increases the chance they actually do it. Peer support team members can also help you navigate this.
If you hear something alarming — act
If someone says something that suggests they may be thinking about harming themselves — even indirectly, even framed as a joke — take it seriously and ask directly: "Are you thinking about suicide?" Asking does not plant the idea. It opens a door that may have been closed for a long time. Call 988 together if needed.
Follow up
One conversation isn't enough. Check back in a few days later. "Hey — I've been thinking about what you said. How are things?" It signals that the conversation wasn't a one-time thing you were obligated to have. It signals you actually care. That's usually what people need most.
Not sure how to start? Talk to a peer support team member first
If you're worried about a colleague but unsure how to approach it, your CIRM peer support team members are trained specifically for this. You can reach out to them before you talk to the person you're concerned about — they can help you think through the conversation, figure out the right approach for that person's personality and situation, and stay in the loop as a resource. That's exactly what they're there for.
Most people who avoid treatment are avoiding a version of it that doesn't exist — or doesn't have to.
- Spending years reliving every call in detail
- Being told what happened to you was your fault
- Losing your job, your clearance, or your identity
- A process that makes you weaker or less capable
- Something you have to declare to the department
- Medication as the only option
- A process that requires you to be in complete crisis first
- EMDR — targeted reprocessing of traumatic memories (often 8–12 sessions)
- Trauma-focused CBT — changing the thought patterns that sustain symptoms
- Structured, time-limited, and goal-directed
- Clinically proven: 80%+ response rates in peer-reviewed trials
- Fully covered under your $4,000/year mental health benefit
- Confidential — your employer does not have access
- Available to you right now, without a formal diagnosis
Why the fire service resists treatment — and why that resistance costs more than it saves
The culture of the fire service selects for people who manage under pressure, who don't show vulnerability in front of their crew, and who normalize extreme experiences as part of the job. These are adaptive traits in an operational context. They are maladaptive when it comes to recognizing and addressing psychological injury.
The research on untreated PTSD in first responders is consistent and sobering: it is progressive. Untreated OSIs compound over time, increasing severity of symptoms, reducing job performance, accelerating relationship breakdown, increasing substance use as self-medication, and dramatically increasing suicide risk. The members who "toughed it out" for a career are, on average, in significantly worse shape in retirement than those who accessed support earlier.
EMDR is the treatment most firefighters haven't heard of — and the one most likely to make them say "that sounds like pseudoscience" before they understand how it works. This 5-minute animation explains the mechanism clearly. It's produced by The School of Life and is listed as a recommended public resource by the EMDR International Association.
The Secrets of EMDR Therapy and How It Can Help You
A clean animated explainer of how EMDR works — why moving your eyes while recalling a traumatic memory actually changes how the brain stores it, and why the evidence base for it is stronger than the name suggests. Recommended by the EMDR International Association as a public resource.
Watch on YouTube ↗These are your trained colleagues — one of them is on shift with you. Defusings are one-on-one, voluntary, and confidential. Phone numbers are in the directory linked below.
- Ash Rempel
- Ryan Tremblett
- Jason Mukhija
- Chris Auer
- Farron Shlecker
- Mike Cameron
- Sean Lowden
- Sean McPhee
- Roxanne Grimbeek
- Ryan Heaven
- Blair Lasell
- Alisdair Dunbar
- Kyle Hlina
- Jason Lange
Critical Incident Response
Up to 5 hours of follow-up counselling with a qualified mental health professional — you must initiate within 3 weeks of the incident, but the hours can be used anytime after. Voluntary and confidential — your employer is not notified. Available 7 days a week, 9AM–11PM.
Connection to Care
Free, anonymous, and confidential phone support for BC municipal workers and families. Registered Clinical Counsellors available Monday to Friday, 8AM–10PM. Ideal for ongoing support beyond the immediate incident.
IAFF Centre of Excellence
The IAFF's dedicated treatment centre for fire service members and families. Residential and outpatient programs for PTSD, trauma, and substance use — built specifically for fire service culture.
BC First Responders Mental Health
A BC-specific resource hub for first responder mental health, including PTSD, OSI, and crisis support. Designed for and by people who understand the first responder context.
Wounded Warriors Canada
National mental health programs for first responders and Veterans with PTSD and OSI. Peer support, clinical treatment, and family programming. Strong first-responder-specific track record.
Tema Conter Memorial Trust
Resources, peer support, and family programs for first responders dealing with PTSD, OSI, and mental health challenges. Broad set of tools for members and their families.
988 — Crisis Line
Call or text 988 from anywhere in Canada. Free, confidential, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For you or for someone you're concerned about. If you're not sure whether it qualifies — it qualifies.
All clinical information and statistics cited on this page are from verifiable published sources.
- American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Diagnostic criteria for PTSD — duration threshold of 30 days distinguishing acute stress disorder from PTSD.
- Haugen PT, et al. (2012). Exposure to traumatic events and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in urban firefighters in the United States. Journal of Emergency Management, 10(2). — Supporting evidence for prevalence and cumulative exposure in firefighters.
- National Institutes of Health / SAMHSA. Cited in Congressional Research Service Report R46555 (2020): 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions including depression and PTSD, compared to 20% of the general population.
- Shapiro F (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). — Foundation for EMDR mechanism and efficacy data.
- Bisson JI, et al. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. — 80%+ response rates for trauma-focused CBT and EMDR.
- WorkSafeBC (2024). Critical Incident Response — Program description, eligibility, and access procedures. worksafebc.com. — Source for CIR program details, availability, and confidentiality terms.
- Carleton RN, et al. (2018). Mental disorder symptoms among public safety personnel in Canada. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(1), 54–64. — Prevalence data for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use in Canadian public safety populations.
- Stanley IH, et al. (2016). Suicidal ideation and attempts among firefighters: Comparisons with other occupational groups and the general population. Psychiatry Research, 244, 36–41. — Context for untreated OSI outcomes and suicide risk in fire service.