Resources and Guidance by the Development Cycle

Responder needs change throughout the deployment cycle, from preparation and initial response to demobilization and returning home.

Browse by Deployment Stage to find NCDRW guidance and resources relevant to where you are now.

Resources are also organized under Browse by Role, with guidance tailored to the unique responsibilities and challenges of different responders. Telecommunicators, DMORT members, incident commanders, and others can find strategies specific to their work at every stage of deployment.

Responders are also affected by disasters, particularly those who live in impacted communities. Their well-being should be integrated into response plans with the same attention to planning, staffing, and follow-through as other operational priorities.

Who this section is for

Each stage is written first for individual responders, with additional guidance for team leaders, agency administrators, and families. Leaders will find practical steps they can build into briefings and incident action plans. Families will find what to expect and when to reach out for help.

If you are struggling right now call or text 988, or call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

Both are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. The Get Help Now section lists responder-specific crisis lines and additional immediate resources.

Choose your stage:

  • Readiness and Screening covers what to settle at home and at work before you go, how to record a personal baseline, and what a readiness check looks like. MORE

  • Coping in Austere Conditions covers sleep, nutrition, shift length, rotation, and peer contact, along with the warning signs to watch for in yourself and your crew when the basics are in short supply. MORE

  • After-Action Psychological Review covers what helps in the first days and weeks after demobilization, which common practices the research advises against, and how leaders can check on their people. MORE

  • 30, 90, 180 and 365 Days covers the full year after a major incident, when delayed reactions often appear, and most follow-up programs have already ended. MORE