Globally, various kinds of disasters, both natural and human induced, have seen an exponential growth. Generally, the focus is on the loss and sufferings of the survivors and the other affected population, but rarely is the first responders’ stress taken into account or mentioned in any review or report. However, psychological stress of forty National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel of various hierarchies, who were part of the 2013 Uttarakhand disaster rescue team, has been assessed. The analysis indicates that the nature and place of work and duties of the first responders played a decisive role in the prevalence of higher psychological stress levels. Thus, it is imperative to include the psychological assessment and care of the first responders in the policies, plans and trainings for disaster management.
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