Submitted by lpearce on Sat, 04/23/2016 – 00:43
I am very pleased to announce that we have just added a new video to our SIMTEC Toolbox. While the funding for the project has ended, we are still in the midst of working on papers and associated projects.
One finding that emerged from our work on Target Red, our active shooter exercise based on a mass casualty incident(MCI),was the importance of reuniting responders and survivors. Just as we found that it was important for survivors to meet amongst themselves, it was equally important for survivors to meet with those who rescued, and in many cases, saved their lives. There appears to be, for many, an innate need to meet and thank those responsible for their survival, and this reunification is critical in helping survivors move forward on their recovery. And yet, privacy legislation and regulations set up enormous barriers to overcome in facilitating this reunification.
We are very grateful to Carolyn Cross, a survivor from the 2011 plane crash in Richmond who agreed to share with us her story of her survival and her recovery. We are equally grateful to Kim and Simon Pearce, two people leaving work from the airport who were at the scene when the plane crashed, metres from their car. As civilian responders responding to a traumatic MCI, they were not eligible to available themselves of the psychosocial services that career responders have available to them.
This video gives a voice to Kim and Simon to tell their story, how they reunited with Carolyn, and how that reunification changed all of their lives and was the first step in their healing journey. I hope that you will find the video inspiring and will challenge you to identify ways in which reunification can be accomplished in your communities of practice
