Disaster Stress Management in an Emergency Operations Center

“I thought I was insulated from the stress and mental health impacts of the disaster because I wasn’t on scene—I was working in the emergency operations center. Boy, was I surprised when I found out the reasons why I couldn’t sleep. I felt like my brain wasn’t working well, I was angry all the time, and I couldn’t remember where I put my keys.”

These are sentiments the author heard and felt herself on a regular basis in more than 30 years in emergency management.

More than 52% of emergency management professionals who participated in the large study “Surveying Mental Health Stressors of Emergency Management Professionals” (Journal of Emergency Management, September/October 2023) reported experiencing mild to severe secondary traumatic stress symptoms, and just under 30% reported moderate to severe secondary traumatic stress symptoms. Those symptoms can negatively impact emergency managers personally and professionally.

Trauma is defined by the American Psychological Association as “an emotional response to a terrible event” that can cause shock, denial, and long-term symptoms. Psychology Today defines it as “a person’s experience of emotional distress resulting from an event that overwhelms the capacity to emotionally digest it.” In April 2025, ChatGPT defined secondary traumatic stress as

an emotional distress that results from indirect exposure to a traumatic event, often experienced by hearing about the trauma of others. It mirrors the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and can occur when a person witnesses or learns about trauma experienced by someone else. This condition highlights the impact that others’ traumatic experiences can have on individuals, particularly those in supportive roles.

That is the role of emergency management professionals. They hear, see, and experience what is happening to the community from a windowless room called an emergency operations center (EOC). During activation, they are helping but often do not have all the resources or information they need at a given time. Simultaneously, they are concerned about their own families’ safety and hope they are not impacted by the event. “All disasters are local” is a common mantra of theirs, often forgetting that they too are locals. So, on many levels, a current disaster is happening to anyone inside the EOC and out in the community. Being removed from the scene does not guard against the impacts of a disaster.

This kind of “secondary traumatic stress” directly affects leadership and decision-making abilities. Neuroscientists are discovering that traumatic stress impacts the ability to think, to process information, and to access critical thinking skills. It impacts the ability to be empathetic, as well as the ability to recognize personal limitations—for example, regarding the length of a shift and how it affects mental sharpness and effectiveness.

Trauma Inside the Emergency Operations Center

The purpose of an EOC—whether a space designed with the latest technology, a rudimentary conference room, or a shared desk in a corner cubicle—is to reduce distractions. However, multiple TV monitors, computer screens, live-streaming drone footage, radio chatter, busy whiteboards, and other equipment bring what is happening outside the room inside the room. Nevertheless, there can be a misconception that the EOC keeps those inside distant from the emotional and physical trauma outside. The effect becomes complex when emergency management professionals and others not on scene are in a pressurized environment but believe that they are not impacted by outside circumstances.

The impact can take many forms, including physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, blood pressure changes, digestive issues, changes to vision and hearing, and immune system depletion. Trauma and stress cause these physiological effects due to “survival chemicals” that flood the system. These survival chemicals could provide superhuman strength to pick up a Volkswagen when needed, to run long distances to get help, or to stay awake for multiple days. However, they can also cause joint and muscle pain, decreased memory function, lack of concentration, confusion, and impairments such as the ability to think critically or exercise good judgment. In other words, they can be a hindrance to making life-changing decisions for other people.

Secondary traumatic stress may impact other areas of function:

• Emotional—Sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, helplessness, depression, etc.
• Cognitive—Apathy, rigid thinking, perfectionism, etc.
• Behavioral—Sleep problems, withdrawal, changes in appetite, hypervigilance, elevated startle response, increased family tension, etc.
• Physical—Metabolism changes (e.g., converting food into stored fat rather than immediate fuel, etc.) Stress causes survival chemicals to flood the body to ensure it has enough stored fuel.

The Emergency Manager’s Dilemma

The job—and the dilemma—during a disaster is to care for other people. Emergency management professionals are expected to find answers and access to resources for their communities, families, elected officials, or supervisors. Even with months of planning, the best checklists and exercises, each disaster presents uncertainties and requires creative guesswork to solve problems. The nature of emergency communications coupled with a lack of or delay in obtaining resources and equipment can lead to a sense of helplessness, especially for those in an EOC.

Recognizing the dilemma is one step. The next is to take action. The following recommendations were devised from the author’s personal experience.

• Acknowledge the risk of disaster stress and its secondary traumatic stress.
• Know that stress is contagious, and each person brings their stress to the EOC during activations.
• As a leader, model what you would like the team to do. They are watching. Do not be the first one on site in the morning to turn the lights on and the last one at night to turn them back off. Find a backup, trust them, and leave.
• Make a strategic plan to manage impacts of trauma and stress within the EOC. If it will be a long activation, include shift sharing, child care, ready information on stress management, and access to professional support, such as an employee assistance program.
• Locate competent, knowledgeable disaster stress management professionals to help develop a program and to support the EOC when needed. Develop a memorandum of understanding or agreement before the next disaster.
• Give yourself and coworkers permission to be tired and overwhelmed at times, knowing that is a recognized occupational hazard for this work.
• Create a culture now that allows people to step away for a 10-minute break a few times a day or to say, “It is the end of the agreed-on shift. I’m going home and will be back in the morning.”
• Hang posters around the facility, including the bathrooms, with reminders to take care of each other because this is a hard job (see Fig. 1).
• Do three- to five-minute stand-up meetings at each shift change and briefing with reminders about stress management and life balance.

The Journal of Emergency Management mental health study (above) found that respondents with higher secondary traumatic stress scores, combined with poor organizational culture, were much more likely to consider changing jobs or leaving the profession entirely. Notably, 61% reported not having access to mental health services. If those services were available, they did not know or believe those services would be available to them.

The job of an emergency management professional is critical. These professionals have a responsibility to their constituents to be the best they can be. Making life-changing decisions requires having all their skills and abilities available. Acknowledging and managing personal disaster stress is essential to perform the tasks required of leaders.

For free webinars and information on EOC stress management, visit the archives at www.piepc.org or the resources and live presentations at ICISF.org.