First aid stress and trauma response (FAST)
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For Communities Affected by violent crime
Trauma Starts in the community and
Ends In the Community
Recommendations / Guidance for Local Authorities, Schools, First Responders
and Community Leaders
Violent crime—such as knife attacks, gun violence, and assaults—leaves lasting trauma on individuals and communities. Beyond physical harm, survivors, witnesses, and communities experience psychological distress, often leading to post-traumatic stress (and/or PTSD), anxiety, and long-term social consequences.
The FAST model (First Aid Stress and Trauma) is an evidence-based framework that is designed to:
Provide immediate psychological first aid to victims and witnesses.
Strengthen community resilience through trauma-informed interventions.
Support frontline responders with best-practice strategies.
Integrate trauma competency into public health, education, and law enforcement.
Impact of Violent Crime
Individual Impact
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Immediate Effects: Shock, fear, dissociation, panic, reactive distress and confusion.
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Physical Responses: Hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, increased heart rate.
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Long-term Risks: PTSD, anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, substance dependency.
Community Impact
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Immediate Impact: Fear, distrust, social fragmentation, increased tensions.
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Long-term Risks: Increased crime rates, economic decline, intergenerational trauma.
Systemic Impact
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Challenges in Immediate Response: Overburdened emergency services, lack of trauma-informed support and unresourced vulnerable frontline staff at risk of secondary trauma.
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Long-term Strain: Increased healthcare demand, law enforcement pressure, policy stagnation and unemployment (related to the effects of stress and trauma).
FAST Best-Practice Trauma Response
The FAST model is designed for rapid crisis response and long-term community recovery. Implementation may be adapted to organisational capacity, but best practices include:
First Aid for Trauma
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Immediate responsive frontline Psychological First Aid (PFA) for victims and witnesses.
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Provision of emotional regulation techniques for survivors and frontline staff.
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Peer/professional debriefing and After Action Review (AAR) for responders.
Accessible Crisis Support
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Guidance on the creation of safe centres for immediate emotional support.
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Culturally sensitive mental health services.
Strengthening Community Resilience
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Community-led recovery initiatives and peer support networks.
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Trauma-informed training for educators, law enforcement, and local leaders.
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Restorative justice programs to support long-term rehabilitation and reintegration.
Trauma-Informed Systems Integration
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Training for emergency responders, healthcare providers, schools and police.
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Multi-agency coordination for a unified response.
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Policy recommendations for sustainable trauma recovery programs.
Equipping communities with resources to aid response capacity
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Specialised online resources.
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Access to further FAST training and mentoring.
Building Trauma-competent services
To ensure an effective response, we advocate:
Training & Capacity Building
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Trauma-competency workshops for first responders.
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Law enforcement training in de-escalation and victim-sensitive approaches.
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Psychological resilience programs for frontline workers.
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Policy and Systemic Capacity Building
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Trauma-informed public health and safety policies.
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Community-based trauma recovery centres (including economically viable pop-up structures in the aftermath of disasters).
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Community Empowerment & Engagement
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Survivor-led advocacy and peer support groups.
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Community support events for trauma recovery.
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Youth intervention programs to prevent violence cycles.
Building Trauma-competent services
To ensure an effective response, we advocate:
Training & Capacity Building
-
Trauma-competency workshops for first responders.
-
Law enforcement training in de-escalation and victim-sensitive approaches.
-
Psychological resilience programs for frontline workers.
​
Policy and Systemic Capacity Building
-
Trauma-informed public health and safety policies.
-
Community-based trauma recovery centres (including economically viable pop-up structures in the aftermath of disasters).
​
Community Empowerment & Engagement
-
Survivor-led advocacy and peer support groups.
-
Community support events for trauma recovery.
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Youth intervention programs to prevent violence cycles.
Guidance from NICE & Other Expert Bodies
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines highlight:
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Psychological debriefing is not recommended in the immediate aftermath of trauma.
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Many people experience temporary distress post-incident without requiring professional intervention.
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Trauma support should focus on safety, stabilisation, and gradual recovery.
Relevant Resources:
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NICE PTSD Guidelines: NICE NG116
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The Royal College of Psychiatrists: Coping After Trauma
Interested?
If this sounds of interest to you or your organisation, please feel free to contact us and we would be delighted to have a conversation and provide you with a proposal and pricing structure that you can share with your colleagues.
FAST (First Aid Stress & Trauma) Response for Communities Affected by Violent Crime has been co-created with the