Terms used in this chapter mean:

(1) “Critical incident stress,” the acute or cumulative psychological stress or trauma that an emergency service provider may experience by providing services during a critical incident, crisis, disaster, or emergency. Critical incident stress is a strong emotional, cognitive, or physical reaction that has the potential to interfere with normal functioning, such as:

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(a) Physical, mental, or emotional illness;

(b) Failure of usual coping mechanisms;

(c) Loss of interest in the job or in usual social relationships;

(d) Personality changes; or

(e) Loss of ability to function;

(2) “Critical incident stress management,” any consultation, incident briefing and debriefing, on-site crisis intervention, counseling, risk assessment, case management services, harm prevention, and referral, provided to an emergency service provider affected by critical incident stress by:

(a) Any person designated by this state or a political subdivision of this state; or

(b) A health care facility licensed in accordance with chapter 34-12;

(3) “Critical incident stress management team,” any person who is:

(a) Designated by this state, a political subdivision of this state, or a health care facility licensed in accordance with chapter 34-12, to provide professional critical incident stress management to an emergency service provider affected by critical incident stress; and

(b) Certified by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation as a critical incident stress management provider;

(4) “Peer support team member,” any person, who is:

(a) A peer of the emergency service provider, designated by this state, a political subdivision of this state, or a health care facility licensed in accordance with chapter 34-12, to provide critical incident stress management services to the provider; and

(b) Certified by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation as a critical incident stress management provider; and

(5) “Emergency service provider,” any person who provides response services during a critical incident, by or on behalf of this state, a political subdivision of this state, or a health care facility that is licensed in accordance with chapter 34-12 and provides emergency medical services.

Source: SL 2015, ch 187, § 1; SL 2023, ch 130, § 1.