At the second International Road Traffic Accident and Reconstruction Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, a session was devoted to discussing the effects of trauma among police, paramedics and firefighters, as well as the right and wrong ways to handle it. Psychologist Mike Lacey-Smith said men were more affected than women because they are more likely to bottle up emotions which later explode, reports the Pretoria News.

"People try to avoid the reality of the situation and trauma by blocking it out or putting it into a box," Lacey-Smith told attendees. "The only problem is, there is no box. Whatever is stored builds up over time and will result in post-traumatic stress syndrome."

Lacey-Smith went on to say that emergency workers definitely will suffer from post-traumatic stress unless debriefed following an incident or talking with colleagues. Debriefings should take place within 72 hours of returning from an incident. He also stressed that although having a drink is often the first thing an emergency worker will do when they go home, it is the last thing they should do.

"Rather, call a colleague, speak to your superiors to arrange a psychologist or call a reliable friend who understands what you are going through," Lacey-Smith said. "Drugs and alcohol can entrench the imagery after visiting a horrific murder scene or car crash."