Working in High Risk Environments: Developing Sustained Resilience

The impact of events such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina were felt across the spectrum of organizations. Such events provide vivid illustrations of the exceptional circumstances that emergency and protective service agencies and businesses alike can encounter. The goal of this book is to broaden the perspectives on the populations that need to be included when thinking about high risk groups and from whom insights into resilience and how it is enacted can be sought. The first chapter discusses high risk environments, sustained resilience and stress risk management. Chapter 2 explores family first responders and resilient mothers of special needs children, including case examples. Chapter 3 examines the resilience of Antarctic expeditioners, relationship dynamics, social support, and organizational climate. Information sharing, trust, empowerment and staying cool under pressure is also discussed. Chapter 4 covers business resilience, preventing loss versus facilitating survival, and the role of continuity planning. In Chapter 5, scientific advice for critical decision making, natural hazards and emergency management, uncertainty, team decision making, advice taking, and shared mental models is presented. Chapter 6 covers COP Shot, and the seeds of resiliency. Chapter 7 defines resiliency in high risk groups, and provides a qualitative analysis of law enforcement and elite military personnel. The Johns Hopkins Perspective is explored, focusing on the results and methods of structural modeling. Chapter 8 describes the psychological stress factors in modern military operations, mental hardiness, and leader influence. Chapter 9 pursues the ecological theory of resilience and adaptive capacity in emergency services. Ultimately, the book meets a need on how to respond effectively in a high risk environment, and the information contained will assist agencies and businesses to develop their capacity to adapt to unpredictable and challenging circumstances.