9. Critical Incidents & Support

A critical incident is a traumatic event — or the threat of one — resulting in serious injury, death, extreme stress or significant risk during club activity. Examples include a drowning, near-drowning or failed resuscitation, a serious injury requiring hospitalisation, a missing person search, or a serious assault. The Club's Critical Incident Response Policy exists so that anyone involved is supported consistently, and the club meets its duty of care.

In the first 24 hours

• Everyone on patrol is accounted for, and safe transport is confirmed before anyone leaves the site
• No one leaves in a distressed state without welfare support being offered
• A wellbeing information session explains what support is available and what happens next; Chaplain support is offered on request
• A hot debrief is held within 24 hours — focused on welfare, acknowledging the event, and capturing essential facts, not on reliving what happened in detail

In the following weeks

Individual well-checks — one-to-one, not group, and not counselling — are offered at roughly 48 hours, one week, and one month after the incident. A cold debrief around 7 days afterwards is a separate, operational-learning session focused on what can be improved, kept apart from wellbeing conversations.

If you're feeling the effects of an incident — trouble sleeping, intrusive thoughts or flashbacks, feeling on edge, pulling away from club life or social contact, or leaning more heavily on alcohol — it's worth talking to someone. None of that means you did anything wrong; it's a normal response to an abnormal event.

Who to contact

Support	Details
SLSWA-nominated critical incident support provider	Via the Critical Incident Manager or Club Administrator
Your GP	A good first step for ongoing support and referral
Lifeline	13 11 14 — 24-hour crisis support
Beyond Blue	1300 22 4636
Emergency services	000 — where there's immediate risk to safety

The Club's Critical Incident Manager (by default, the General Manager or President) coordinates member wellbeing and can help arrange a referral — reach them via the Club Administrator, admin@triggisland.com | 08 9447 3556.