In the wake of tragedies such as the Virginia Tech massacre, people are realizing that psychological emergencies can be a threat to the safety of not only the individual faced with one, but these crises can also end in disaster for innocent bystanders. While no one can predict the mental breakdown of another, proper training is imperative when emergency services workers encounter psychological emergencies.

Timing is certainly a factor when dealing with a psychological emergency, and according to Dr. S. Joseph Woodall, Director of Fayetteville State University’s fire science program, thirty seconds allows plenty of time for complications to arise. A working solution, he says, is his latest book, “Responding to Psychological Emergencies: A Field Guide”. Dr. Woodall teamed up with Dr. Jeffrey A. Thomas, and together they produced a handbook designed to assist emergency services personnel and public service professionals as they respond to an increasing number of psychologically-based field emergencies.

On Monday, May 21, 2007, Dr. Woodall began training 7 personnel from the City of Fayetteville’s Fire Department.  Currently, the City of Fayetteville oversees 15 fire stations and 302 employees in its fire department. Fire Station #14 is located at FSU, and houses 18 firefighters (including chiefs) with 6 rotating per shift.

Dr. Woodall says that so far, Fayetteville is the largest city that has adopted the text, and the group was the first to be trained.  He added that eventually, the entire department will receive training on how to utilize the book.

He explained, “We have legal protocols…we have medical protocols…we have hazardous materials protocols…but we don’t have mental health protocols.”

The trainees were in agreement, and believe that the book would serve as a valuable tool for them when they are out in the field answering calls.  One felt the book was “fireman-friendly”. As a matter fact, to test the user-friendliness of the guide, Dr. Woodall used case scenarios and allowed trainees thirty seconds to find the pertinent information that would offer resolution to each hypothetical situation.

Answers were found promptly as each one navigated the paperback.  There was a general consensus that the book was definitely a timely reference guide as Dr. Woodall pointed out that reduced funding for mental health patients results in, “more people in the streets, more people without medication, and more people not going to counseling.”

Captain Scott Iverson concurred, and shared his personal encounter with someone who appeared to be schizophrenic. Not only did he feel like he was not equipped to assist the person, but also Captain Iverson admitted that he was unsure about how to approach this individual who complained of “demons in his head”.

“We are always known for making people’s lives better, but when you don’t know how to talk to someone, you can’t help them,” Captain Iverson stated.

It is the hope of Dr. Woodall, who retired from an active career in fire service in 2003, that this guidebook will serve as a tool in eliminating this common problem. In the meantime, he would like to see other cities adopt the guide, and says it is already in the possession of city officials in Albermarle, NC. Presently, proposals have been shared and negotiations are being made in the state of Arizona as well.