Creation of CISM/CISD Teams

[nsfirechap]

We may have to start a new CISM/CISD team from the ground up - any suggestions?????? The team that is in place is burnt out.Please post here or e-mail me.
Thanks in advance for your help.
God Bless you all as you serve.

Chaplain Jeff Turkel
North Star VFD
North Pole, Alaska

[jim whitfield]

The first question is how did the old team burn out? Lack of activity? Too much activity? We've got a team here, but (thankfully) haven't had to use them but on some very small events to date. I'd sure hate to see them do a nosedive even before they can be used.

On starting up a new team, we happened to be in the right place at the right time (read: had a bad event). A local minister who works with employees at the Mississippi State Prison (here in my county) was planning a CISM overview at the prison firehouse the day we had a pretty difficult rescue. So he just went ahead and did a short debriefing. From that experience, we looked at the bigger picture, and our county chiefs council decided a CISM Team would probably be a good thing........a CISM Coordinator was appointed; he attended regular FD meetings for about a month describing CISM and recruiting peer counselor volunteers from among the firefighters. Once a respectable number (20 or so) were put together, we started our training program, which is as you know not a one-shot deal, but a continuing program.

All said to say this - see if your folks really want one! If they're not interested in supporting a team, don't beat yourself over the head with it. If they do want to - get some volunteers for the team. We strictly wanted volunteers - no person compelled or ordered to be on the team would be a productive team member.

Let me know how it goes. If you want, email me and I can get you in touch with our CISM Coordinator and another team member via email.



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James A. Whitfield, Jr., MCEM
Sunflower County Fire Coordinator
Indianola, Missisippi
(662) 887-6253
jjwhit@deltaland.net
Battalion 1 - The Pride of the South

[ResQRev]

You should contact www.icisf.org. They have wonderful materials that will enable you to start a CISM team. Jeff Mitchell came out with a book about 5 years ago entitled "CISM Teams" and takes you through the entire process of starting, maintaining and utilizing a CISM team.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

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Rev. John G. Fleischmann
Director
Suffolk Co. NY CISM Team