1. EXPERIENCE OF SYSTEM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE OF CZECH FRS
Zuzana Dittrichová
Martina Wolf Čapková
Fire & Rescue Service of the Czech Republic
General Directorate

2. Psychological Service of F&R Service of the Czech Republic
established in 2003
great importance in selection and stress preparation of firefighters
 General Directorate:
1 head psychologist, 1 psychologist,
1 assistant
 14 departments in the Czech Republic:
1 psychologist in each department (+ 1 assistant in
departments with psychodiagnostic laboratory),
1 psychologist in Emergency unit of FRC CR

3. Main tasks of psychological service
1. Basis for personnel work and service. 2. Post-traumatic care for members of F&R Service (including counseling and therapy). 3. Psychosocial support of people affected by the emergency situations.

4. Psychodiagnostics
There is standardized psychodiagnostic methodology to set the common applicants’ minimal level of personal qualities – 5 psychodiagnostic laboratories.
- select
firefighters,
fire truck
drivers and
commanders

5. Psychological training
Firefighters are coached to cope with potentially stressful events by basic training and regular education training including psychological courses (Critical Incident Stress Management, psychological first aid etc.).

6. Teams of post traumatic intervention care of F&R Service
In the Czech republic, psychological care is stated in the law about security forces.
Internal norms of Fire & Rescue Service about psychological care and about peer-support system.
14 regional teams of post traumatic intervention care, 1 Emergency unit team
regional coordinators – relevant regional psychologists
central coordination – head psychologist of F&R Service

7. Peers = volonteers
Interview before acceptation to the system of training with each candidate :
aims:
Uncover motivation
Find out knowledge of peer support system
Uncover soft skills – self-relfection
- emotional stability
- communication skills
- ability to solve problems
- ability to start contact other people
 the quality of personality of each peer-supporter is important in addition to training and knowledge.

8. The qualifications of the peer supporter
stable personality
informal authority
communications skills
empathy
sensitiveness but not hypersensitiveness
responsable, selfcontained (independent)
team worker
trained

9. Peers are trained in: CISM (40 hours)
First psychological aid I and II (20 hours and min. 16 hours)
+ 3 day training each year (theory, model situations, case reports)

10. Number of peers Actual number - 270 peers
Continuous progressive training of others firefighters
Ideal number – 1 peer in each workshift?

11. In Internal norms of Fire & Rescue Service about peer-support system:
 List of potential traumatic events when the management or commander should activate peers:

12. Potential traumatic events
A health or life threatening situation
An especially tragic event or a disaster
A witnesses to victims of multiple injuries, cases of cruel death
A death of a colleague
A deceased or seriously injured child
A death of a victim of an accident during a rescue operation
An unsuccessful rescue operation
A sudden loss of shelter
An intensive feeling of fear, helplessness or extreme disgust

13. Lists of members of teams of peers in each fire brigade station
including - contact information
(telephone number, fire brigade
station, photograph)
- brief information about post
traumatic care

15. Activities of peers
Support for colleagues – colleague support, colleague counselling, detection, alerting, advise for referral (liaison to other care personnel), long-term monitoring etc.
Psychosocial support of people affected by the emergency situations – (first on-site of accident) - psychological first aid, on accident site information dissemination, liaison to other care personnel

16. Regular field training excercises

17. Peer with an unhurt passenger - figurant

19. Documentation of activities
Record of activity of each peer
Records of the coordinator
Annual statistics

20. Communication with persons with disability during emergency situations
The service has recently focused attention on the specific groups of people such as people with disabilities.

21. Methodical guidance
Internal regulations - summary of basic procedures and techniques
Special needs of people with impairment
Communication with people with impairment
Tady asi říct jen, že tématika komunikace s handicapovanými je zakotvena v metodických pokynech HZS a pravidelně zařazována do různých typů vzdělávání

22. Regular meetings with people with disability
E.g. meeting with children with visual impairment (letting them touch fire fighter’s work equipment and also acquainting with their specific world)
Excursions for people with hearing impairment at the operational (call) centres of the FRS

24. Possibility to contact 112 line by SMS
Possibility to contact 112 line by SMS in more and more cities and regions
The system is accessible after a registration of disabled person with the use of a special telephone number

25. Education of firefighters and other employees
Education is ensured especially by the Psychological Service of FRS
Basic course for beginners, special courses
Regular education in the shifts
Drills with participation of people with disability
Drills for NGO´s

26. Methodical DVD
Project of the Psychological service and Team of post-traumatic intervention care of FRS
Simulated scenes, instructions how to communicate with person with disability
Focus on people with visual, hearing, mental and physical disability

28. Contact
Zuzana Dittrichová, mobile: ,
Martina Wolf Čapková, mobile: ,
Websites: