15.3 Member Welfare and Critical Incident Support
Critical Incident Support Line
Members do not need to wait for a welfare check, email, or phone call before accessing support.
The Critical Incident Support Line is available for members requiring confidential welfare or psychological support following a critical incident or traumatic event.
If a member requires urgent medical, mental health, or emergency assistance, Triple Zero (000) or appropriate crisis support services should be contacted.
Purpose
To outline SLSSA’s approach to member welfare and critical incident support following critical incidents, traumatic incidents, significant rescues, or other operational events that may impact members.
Overview
The environment in which SLS operates has the potential for members to be involved in incidents of a traumatic nature. Such incidents may include loss of life, emergency care, search and rescue operations, body recovery, serious injury, or incidents involving fellow members.
Members are affected differently by incidents, and it is the reaction of the individual which makes the incident critical for that person, not necessarily the size or nature of the incident.
SLSSA is committed to lessening the impact of critical incident stress on members, staff, and their families by providing timely welfare follow-up, support information, and referral pathways.
Member welfare support may include group briefing, welfare checks, post incident support information, referrals, and access to professional psychological support.
Member welfare and critical incident support must be enacted following Critical Incidents as defined in SOP 15.1 – Critical Incidents.
Member welfare support may also be activated following any incident, event, exposure, or operational activity that may impact members, regardless of whether the incident meets the formal Critical Incident definition.
Procedure
Initial Welfare Considerations
For Critical Incidents as defined in SOP 15.1 – Critical Incidents, member welfare and critical incident support processes must be activated.
For other incidents or events, the Patrol Captain, Duty Officer, State Duty Officer, SOC, or Lifesaving Department may determine the welfare support required based on the incident details and member exposure.
Welfare support should be considered for personnel who were:
- Directly involved in the incident,
- Indirectly involved in the incident,
- Involved in communications or coordination,
- Exposed to death, serious injury, body recovery, or traumatic circumstances,
- Required to perform CPR or significant emergency care,
- Involved in a serious member injury,
- Exposed to aggressive behaviour or public disorder, or
- Otherwise impacted by the incident.
Hot Debrief
When the response to the incident has concluded, the Duty Officer or other appropriate person may deliver a Hot Debrief and conduct an initial welfare check where possible.
The operational debrief may occur at or near the same time, but the operational debrief and welfare support process remain separate functions.
As part of the group briefing, members involved in the incident should be advised:
- That reactions to traumatic incidents can vary,
- That support is available,
- That they may be contacted by the Lifesaving Department following the incident,
- That they may receive post incident support information by email,
- That they may receive a welfare phone call in the days following the incident, and
- That they do not need to wait for contact before accessing support.
Member List and Critical Incident Log
Within 12 hours where practicable, the Duty Officer or nominated person should advise the State Operations Centre of all members involved in a Critical Incident.
The record should include members directly and indirectly involved in the incident and should be provided to the SOC for attachment to the incident log.
The SOC is responsible for forwarding member details to the Lifesaving Department to support welfare follow-up.
Post Incident Contact
Members involved in a critical incident should expect post incident contact from the Lifesaving Department.
This may include:
- An email containing post incident support information,
- A welfare phone call,
- Information about the Critical Incident Support Line,
- Referral options,
- Follow-up welfare checks, and
- Additional support where required.
Members should usually receive post incident support information within 48 hours where practicable.
A welfare check may occur within the first few days following the incident.
Further welfare checks may occur approximately one week and one month after the incident, depending on the incident type, member exposure, and identified welfare needs.
Critical Incident Support Line
Members may access the Critical Incident Support Line at any stage following an incident.
The Critical Incident Support Line can be contacted 24/7 on (08) 8354 6999.
Members do not need to wait for a welfare check or contact from SLSSA.
The Critical Incident Support Line should be promoted as a confidential support pathway for members requiring welfare or psychological support following a critical incident or traumatic event.
Referrals
Referrals to professional psychological support may be made at any stage of the process.
Referral pathways may include:
- SLSSA critical incident support arrangements,
- Employee Assistance Program referral,
- Lifesaving Department referral,
- Member self referral,
- GP referral, or
- Other appropriate support pathways.
Where urgent medical, mental health, or emergency assistance is required, members should be directed to appropriate emergency or crisis support services.
Major Incident Support
Major critical incidents may require support beyond the standard welfare follow-up process.
In these circumstances, the Lifesaving Department may work directly with the affected SLS service, Duty Officer, State Duty Officer, or other relevant personnel to activate additional support.
Additional support may include:
- Expanded welfare checks,
- Group support sessions,
- Professional psychological support,
- Peer support,
- Family support information,
- SLS service leadership support, and
- Ongoing follow-up.
SLS service leadership may contact the Critical Incident Support Line to access additional support.
Additional Support Networks
Some SLS services may have additional support people or networks in place who can be contacted for support outside the SLSSA Critical Incident Support process.
These may include:
- Chaplains,
- Peer support networks,
- Club welfare officers,
- Mentors,
- Senior members, or
- Other appropriate support people.
These supports may supplement, but should not replace, SLSSA critical incident support pathways.
References