Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows several airlines, airports, and air traffic control service providers cooperating with each other and using critical incident stress management (CISM). Special organizational requirements, implementation and structure of CISM, rules and procedures, advantages, benefits and experiences in general are outlined by a representative of the respective protagonist. Experience did prove that the success of a CISM program depends on the qualification of the peers and the support and understanding of the management. The book explores International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) which describes principles and standards in the training of peers. It gives the empirical evidence that CISM significantly supports the strategic goals of an aviation organization with many intangible and also with monetary benefits. The book focuses on practical issues of CISM implementation, operation, and evaluation, and gives the definition basic theoretical and methodological background of important CISM terms.