Firefighting TRAUMA
About this Event
CANCELLED — An unexpected return to London. A new chapter for STAGE28 in 2027.
WHAT IF WE'VE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT TRAUMA?
When a critical incident occurs, leaders can find themselves caught between wanting to protect their people and not knowing which actions will actually help.
Firefighting TRAUMA asks whether the urgency, discipline and action-oriented mindset of a first responder can offer something important to the way we respond to psychological trauma.
This two-day STAGE28 workshop combines science, practical education and hands-on skill development to demonstrate what can be done in the critical period following a traumatic event — and how organisations can move from simply managing psychological injury towards actively facilitating recovery and growth.
DAY 1: LEARN THE SCIENCE.
DAY 2: PRACTISE THE ART.
WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?
Firefighting TRAUMA is for people who carry responsibility for what happens before, during or after a traumatic incident — whether through leadership, policy, risk, workforce support or professional practice.
It will be particularly relevant to:
• First responder leaders and management
• CEOs, executives and organisational leaders
• Government and policy decision-makers
• HR, WHS and psychosocial risk professionals
• Emergency, crisis and risk management professionals
• Psychologists, EAP and mental health professionals
• Employee and workforce representatives
• Researchers and others working in trauma, recovery and posttraumatic growth
WHY DR JOHN DURKIN?
Dr John Durkin brings an unusual combination of frontline experience, psychological research and real-world crisis intervention.
A former firefighter who became a psychologist and researcher, John worked alongside the peer-support teams of the NYPD and the Counselling Services Unit of the FDNY following 9/11. He later led the Metropolitan Police crisis response following London's 2017 terrorist attacks and other mass-fatality incidents.
His experience has shaped a deceptively simple question at the heart of this workshop:
What if the way first responders think and act has something important to teach us about responding to psychological trauma?
WHY LOOK BACK TO MOVE FORWARD?
More than a century ago, British medical officers treating soldiers for shellshock were confronting a question that remains relevant today:
What should we do in the immediate aftermath of overwhelming experience?
Early practitioners including Charles Myers and David Eder described approaches that emphasised early intervention, proximity, expectation of recovery and a return to normal function.
Their observations raise a challenging question for contemporary trauma practice:
Have we retained everything they learned — or have some important lessons been lost along the way?
Firefighting TRAUMA revisits this history not as an academic exercise, but to examine what it may tell us about the way we respond to traumatic incidents today.
In particular, the workshop explores the proposition that timing matters: that what happens in the early period following a critical incident may influence whether distress begins to resolve or becomes more firmly established.
That is where the firefighter analogy becomes important.
When firefighters encounter a blaze, they do not stand back indefinitely observing it. They assess the risk, understand what they are dealing with and, when appropriate, act.
What might psychological trauma response learn from that mindset?
WHAT WILL YOU LEAVE WITH?
Firefighting TRAUMA is designed to leave you with more than an understanding of trauma. The aim is to change what you notice, what you question and what you are able to do following a traumatic incident.
By the end of the two days, participants will have:
• A deeper understanding of trauma and recovery — including how historical, psychological and medical thinking has shaped the way we respond today.
• A framework for questioning accepted practice — and distinguishing between what we assume helps and what evidence and experience suggest may actually help.
• Greater understanding of the critical early period following an incident — including what to consider, what to look for and why timing may matter.
• Practical communication experience — through exercises and demonstrations exploring person-centred approaches following traumatic events.
• Greater understanding of psychological risk assessment — including approaches to assessing risk following trauma and the application of RAIDS to PTSD risk.
• A different perspective on peers and lived experience — and the potential role of people who have experienced, survived and grown following adversity.
• A practical framework for recovery and posttraumatic growth — moving beyond simply managing psychological injury towards creating conditions that can support recovery, adaptation and growth.
Most importantly, you should leave better equipped to ask a critical question when trauma occurs:
WHAT CAN WE DO NOW THAT MAY GENUINELY HELP?
YOUR REGISTRATION INCLUDES
Your A$1,100 registration includes:
- Both days of the Firefighting TRAUMA workshop
- Printed workshop materials
- Lunch on both days
- Tea and coffee refreshments throughout both days
- STAGE28 Certificate of Attendance
Places are limited.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION / WARNING
Psychological trauma is the subject matter of the day, and may carry emotional charge for some attendees, so support will be available for reactions to the day’s material. However, the session is primarily an educational one, not a therapeutic one. If an attendee is concerned, they may be triggered by discussions of trauma, it is strongly advised they secure a trusted contact for personal support later.
Agenda
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
DAY 1 - Registration and refreshments
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
What do we know — and how do we know it?
Info: Philosophy • Science • Testing reality
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
What did we learn from shellshock?
Info: Early intervention • Theories • Evidence and research
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Lunch & Listening
🕑: 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM
When helping can harm
Info: Legal precedents • Psychiatry • Scientific defences
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:15 PM
From evidence to action
Info: Bringing the evidence together • Preparing for Day 2 • A message from the Stoics
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Day 1 — Debrief & Close
Info: After 15:30 — Optional conversation & networking
John and the STAGE28 team will remain available for those who would like to continue the conversation.
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
DAY 2 - Welcome back & refreshments
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Communication when it matters
Info: Communication breakdown • Desire, intention and completion • Practical exercises
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
From understanding to technique
Info: Practical techniques exploring pain • Bodies • Abilities
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Lunch & Listen
🕑: 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Working with accumulated distress
Info: Practical techniques exploring accumulated stress • Criticism • Perfection
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:15 PM
From trauma to posttraumatic growth
Info: Putting it all together • A new paradigm • Posttraumatic growth
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Workshop Debrief & Close
Info: After 15:30 — Optional conversation & networking
John and the STAGE28 team will remain available for those who would like to continue the conversation.
Where is it happening?
AUD 1100.00
