Emergency Service Worker's (ESW's) can experience excitement from saving property from destruction and the ultimate satisfaction of saving a life, but the exhilaration and thrills can come to a holt when ESW's are faced with an occupational hazard called Critical Incident Stress (CIS).(Mitchell 86).
             A critical incident does not have to be a major disaster, but is any situation faced by Emergency Service Worker's (ESW) that causes them to experience strange reactions which may have the potential to interfere in their performance of duties's either at the scene or later. Every year there is a high turnover of ESW's i.e. Police, Ambulance, Fire Brigade and volunteer organisation's because of CIS.
             It would be stupid to believe that ESW's can walk amongst broken bones, burning bodies's, handle body part's, assist with the distraught survivor's and view terrible destruction without being effected in some way by such graphic exposure. People suffering from this experience physical, emotional and cognitive effects.(Mitchell 86).
             CIS reaction's are incident specific. They may be either Acute or Delayed.(Mitchell 81)
             An acute CIS reaction begins while the ESW is engaged with on scene operations. It is an incident that is often very disturbing for ESW's and may become physically ill as a result of the intense stress level associated with the event.(Bush Fire Services 92). Under particularly stressing circumstances some maybe unable to function properly at the scene or at a later date. This happens for example in the case of a death of a fellow worker in the line of duty and cannot return to his normal duties's. CIS at times can be so powerful as to cause mental and emotional breakdown in extreme case's death.(Mitchell 83).
             The most common cognitive or mental symptom's of an acute stress reaction are impaired thinking and decision making, poor concentration and confusion, memory problem's, flashback's of previous sc
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