Returning a community to normal after an emergency event (continued)

Major emergencies are stressful experiences, not only for victims, but also for responders and ICs. The IC must take into consideration that many people associated with such episodes will exhibit or experience some degree of psychological trauma.

When emergencies occur, the immediate response is to protect self and family. An immediate inventory phase then follows in which people anxiously attempt to account for their homes and loved ones. Highly altruistic behavior is often seen, and victims and unaffected volunteers work to assist those in need. Once the emergency needs have been brought under control, those who are unhurt begin an energetic process of securing possessions, if their homes have been damaged or destroyed, and cleaning up the mess.

Psychological reactions in the early recovery phase focus very strongly on returning to some sense of normal routine.