ABSTRACT
Emergency service personnel (i.e. police, fire and ambulance) can have high levels of exposure to both occupational and post-traumatic stress, with the interplay between these forms of stress generating a range of complex responses. This chapter considers the particular occupational context of the emergency services and the ways in which this context affects the nature and effectiveness of stress interventions, both at a strategic and interpersonal level. The nature and cultural context of emergency services working will be described, highlighting those specific organizational and occupational features that have the potential to impact on the take up, and effectiveness, of stress interventions. The emergency services provide a clear example of the need to understand both the occupational environment and specific cultural context of an organization in order to design and apply stress interventions successfully. This chapter will discuss a variety of process issues that ought to be considered when developing and delivering interventions in the emergency services.
