Stephen Thompson, MA, CCWS, CHRS, EdD(c)
Director of Global Programs & Impact
Introduction: Care is a Team Practice
Wildfire response is high-stakes, high-intensity work. Your team may face long days, rapidly changing conditions, heartbreaking losses, and communities in crisis. In these moments, it is easy to focus only on the mission. But just as critical as fire lines and logistics is how we care for each other during and after the response.
Creating a culture of care on your team is not about adding another task to the to-do list. It is about embedding emotional support into the way you lead, listen, and respond. When team members feel psychologically safe, they can speak openly, make better decisions, and recover more fully from stress. And that sense of care ripples outward, impacting not only your team but the communities you serve.
What is a Culture of Care?
A culture of care is a team environment where people feel respected, heard, and supported. It is a space where emotional and psychological needs are not ignored but addressed as part of doing good, ethical work.
Key aspects of a caring team culture include:
- Psychological safety: People feel safe to speak up, ask for help, or admit mistakes without fear of judgment or punishment.
- Mutual support: Team members look out for one another and check in both formally and informally.
- Shared responsibility: Well-being is not left to individuals alone. It is embraced as a collective priority.
Psychological Safety in Action
Psychological safety is not a soft concept. It is foundational to performance and mental health in high-risk work. Research shows that teams with high psychological safety are more innovative, resilient, and less prone to burnout.
Simple ways to foster it include:
- Begin each shift with a short check-in: “How are you arriving today?”
- Model vulnerability as a leader or senior team member. Share when something was hard for you.
- Avoid blame language. Replace “Why did you do that?” with “What did you notice or need in that moment?”
- Validate stress responses. “It makes sense that you’re feeling overwhelmed after what you saw.”
Debriefing After Supporting Impacted Communities
After responding to a community in crisis, your team may be carrying invisible emotional weight. A brief, supportive debrief can help people process their experience and reduce the risk of compassion fatigue.
Key elements of an effective team debrief:
- Create space intentionally: Find a quiet place where team members can speak freely without interruption.
- Start with grounding: Invite a moment of silence, a few deep breaths, or a brief body check-in.
- Ask open questions like:
- What stood out to you today?
- What is staying with you right now?
- Was there a moment that felt especially hard or meaningful?
- Reinforce peer support: Remind your team that they are not alone in how they feel.
- Close with appreciation: Acknowledge each person’s contribution and effort.
These debriefs do not need to be long. Even 10 to 15 minutes can make a meaningful difference.
Tangible Tips You Can Use Today
Whether you are leading a team or part of one, here are actions you can take right now to build a culture of care:
- Check In, Don’t Check Out
Ask one teammate today how they are really doing. Listen more than you speak.
- Name and Normalize Stress
Say something like, “I felt drained after today. I imagine others may be too.” This gives permission for others to be honest.
- Offer a Reset Moment
Try a collective pause before or after a shift: stand in silence for 60 seconds, stretch, or take three collective breaths together.
- Keep Water and Snacks Visible
Caring for the body helps care for the mind. A shared “responder care” kit can go a long way.
- Speak Appreciation Out Loud
Name what someone did well today. Gratitude builds connection and resilience.
Conclusion: Care is Contagious
The way your team treats each other matters just as much as the way you respond to the disaster. When you prioritize psychological safety and model care, you create a ripple effect. You show that strength is not about silence but about showing up fully together.
Every team member has the power to shape a culture where care is practiced, not just preached. It starts with small choices, small check-ins, and the belief that well-being is worth protecting. Even in crisis. Especially in crisis.