Emergency work experience and reactions to traumatic incidents.

The present study examined the association between volunteer emergency work experience, personality, and reactions to a past traumatic incident. Participants from randomly selected State Emergency Services and Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Units in New South Wales (Australia) completed four questionnaires. The data did not support the idea that emergency workers are hardier than most, or have particular coping styles. Length of volunteer emergency service was associated with both severity and length of reaction to a past traumatic incident. The number of emergency callouts and current general symptom severity were associated with severity of reaction to a past incident.