James Valley Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team The Davison County Office of Emergency Management is responsible for the coordination and administration of the James Valley Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM). The Davison County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) serves as the Governing Board of this Team. Emergency response personnel operate under a variety of stressors; the uncertainty of the next call, the human tragedies involved, the hazards associated with a rescue, the fear of doing something wrong. Often responders can cope with these stressors and consider them “part of the job”. Some situations, however, cause lasting impressions and can challenge the ability to function on the job and at home. They can cause emergency service workers to abandon involvement with their service and cause physical and emotional illness. Situations, which produce these unusually strong reactions, are referred to as critical incidents. The service is confidential and participants can speak freely. This is not group therapy and not a critique of the event. During the session, participants may describe their thoughts, actions and reactions to the stress event or participants may just listen. CISM will assist the participants in understanding the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that occurred during and after the incident. It is time devoted to helping the participants understand how a powerful event has affected them. In general, critical incident stress management promotes a more rapid recovery from the incident and facilitates normal integration back into home and work routines. Contact the Mitchell Police Department Dispatch Center @ 995-8400 to activate the James Valley CISM Team. The Team is available for calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Team is available to conduct debriefings and defusing for Emergency Response Personnel when requested.