The Role of the First Responder

Background Chaplains in first responder and military services support staff prior to, during and after critical incidents. Some studies have explored the role of chaplains in these settings predominantly in the military and from chaplains’ perspectives. However, few studies have explored the perspective of staff. This scoping review aims to map the literature on staff perceptions of the role and value of chaplains in first responder and military settings. Method A scoping review using the Arksey & O’Malley (2003) and Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review Methodology was conducted. English language peer-reviewed and grey literature in CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO, ProQuest and Google Scholar from 2004-2019 was reviewed for inclusion. Records were included if they provided staff perspectives on the role and value of chaplains in first responder and military settings. The initial search identified 491 records after removal of duplicates. All titles and abstracts were then screened for relevance to the research question and 84 were selected for full-text review. Seven records were included in final review; five dissertations and two peer-reviewed articles. Five of these were from the military and two from the police. Data were extracted and thematically analysed to identify staff perceptions of the role, skills and attributes, and value of chaplains in first responder and military settings. Results Staff understood the role of chaplain to include the provision of spiritual and pastoral care and guidance and, in the case of police, providing scene support. Staff from all of the services identified requisite skills and attributes for chaplains such as being available, approachable and engaged; counselling; maintaining confidentiality and trust; being organisationally aware; and possessing distinct personality traits and knowledge of specialty content areas. The value chaplains brought to their services emerged from chaplains being trusted as a result of being proactively available for staff, families and bystanders for formal and informal conversation; organisational belonging and awareness resulting in enhanced staff satisfaction and retention; and promoting staff physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing. Conclusions Although military and police staff identified spiritual, psychological and social benefits to chaplains maintaining an active and visible role in their services, the small number of papers identified make generalisation of these findings to other first responder services problematic. Further research is therefore required to understand the impact of the chaplain’s role as part of the care team in first responder services.

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Functional architecture of the pancreatic islets: First responder cells drive the first-phase [Ca2+] response

10.1101/2020.12.22.424082 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Vira Kravets ◽

JaeAnn M. Dwulet ◽

Wolfgang E. Schleicher ◽

David J. Hodson ◽

Anna M. Davis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Response Time ◽

Phase Response ◽

Cell Subpopulation ◽

Islet Function ◽

Β Cells ◽

Β Cell ◽

First Responder ◽

Intact Mouse ◽

Responder Cell

AbstractInsulin-secreting β-cells are functionally heterogeneous. Subpopulations of β-cells can control islet function and the regulation of hormone release, such as driving the second (oscillatory) phase of free-calcium ([Ca2+]) following glucose elevation. Whether there exists a subpopulation that drives the first-phase response, critical for effective insulin secretion and disrupted early in diabetes, has not been examined. Here, we examine a ‘first responder’ cell population, defined by the earliest [Ca2+] response during first-phase [Ca2+] elevation. We record [Ca2+] dynamics in intact mouse islets, via β-cell specific expression of the [Ca2+] indicator GCamP6s. We identify multiple β-cell subpopulations based on signatures of their [Ca2+] dynamics and investigate the role of ‘first responder’ cells in islet function by means of 2-photon laser ablation. We further characterize the functional properties of ‘first responder’ cells by NAD(P)H autofluorescence, fluorescent recovery after photobleaching, glibenclamide stimulation, and network analysis. We also investigate which functional characteristics of these cells are critical by a computational model of islet electrophysiology. Based on the dynamics of [Ca2+] responses, first responder cells are distinct from previously identified functional subpopulations. The first-phase response time of β-cells is spatially organized, dependent on the cell’s distance to the first responder cells, and consistent over time up to ~24 h. First responder cells showed characteristics of high membrane excitability and slightly lower than average coupling to their neighbors. When first responder cells were ablated, the first-phase [Ca2+] diminished, compared to ablating a random cell. We also observed a hierarchy of the first-phase response time, where cells that were next earliest to respond often take over the role of the first responder cell upon ablation. In summary, we discover and characterize a distinct first responder β-cell subpopulation, based on [Ca2+] response timing, which is critical for the islet first-phase response to glucose.

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First responder well-being following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake

Disaster Prevention and Management An International Journal ◽

10.1108/dpm-06-2016-0112 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 286-297 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Daniel Shepherd ◽

David McBride ◽

Kirsten Lovelock

Keyword(s):

Coping Styles ◽

First Responders ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Resilience ◽

First Responder ◽

Treatment Interventions ◽

Content Type ◽

The Face ◽

Disaster Exposure

Purpose The role of first responders in mitigating the effects of earthquakes is vital. Unlike other disasters, earthquakes are not single events, and exposure to dangerous and trauma-inducing events may be ongoing. Understanding how first responders cope in the face of such conditions is important, for both their own well-being as well as the general public whom they serve. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Using questionnaires, this study measured posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological resilience, and reactive coping styles in a sample of first responders active during the 2011 Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand. Findings The prevalence of PTSD was similar to that reported in the literature. Psychological resilience, but not disaster exposure, was found to be associated with PTSD. Maladaptive coping strategies best predicted resiliency, but there were significant gender differences. Originality/value These findings can inform those managing first responder disaster workers through the consideration of preventive and treatment interventions.

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Rushing Gunshot Victims to Trauma Care: The Influence of First Responders and the Challenge of the Geography

Homicide Studies ◽

10.1177/1088767920916900 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 377-397 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David N. Hatten ◽

Kevin T. Wolff

Keyword(s):

Trauma Care ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Gunshot Wound ◽

Injury Severity ◽

First Responders ◽

Past Research ◽

First Responder ◽

Care Services ◽

Care Facilities

Past research exploring correlates to gunshot wound fatality have focused on the distance between the victim/incident location and trauma care facilities. Far less is known regarding the role of first responders in linking individuals to trauma care services. This study introduces a new method for measuring proximity to trauma care services and first responder locations, using the STATA OSRMTIME package to assess this relationship. A positive and significant relationship was found between travel time, measured in minutes, from first responder locations and the likelihood of gunshot fatality, controlling for age, race, sex, and, injury severity.

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