The role of dark humor in emergency services culture

Anyone who knows a firefighter, paramedic, law enforcement officer, or 911 dispatcher likely knows their sense of humor. It is dark. I mean, it is the void staring back at you, dark. Boarders on not socially appropriate dark.

​Why do emergency service workers have dark humor?

​Simply, it is a protective factor. People working in emergency services are subjected to the worst that humans have to offer. Rarely does a citizen call 911 because they are having a fantastic day, and they want to share their sheer joy with everyone.

​The dark humor helps the front-line folks depersonalize the incident. Most of the time, that is an unhealthy coping mechanism. But in the field, however, this strategy allows the personnel to continue working. Transitioning from a pediatric drowning patient to someone who broke their toe is drastic. When the public calls 911 for their emergency, they are expecting confident, competent people to arrive in an expedited manner to solve their problem. The citizens don’t want a crew that is still processing the last traumatic event, and then want a solution.

​Dark humor helps responders and dispatchers mentally prepare for the next call.

​However, it is not a great way to process trauma. Relying on dark humor to process traumatic events as the sole coping mechanism is not a long-term solution. One of the best ways to process trauma in emergency services is with your crew.  

​If you’re a firefighter, paramedic, or law enforcement officer in Orlando looking for support, I offer therapy specifically for first responders.