Defusing sessions for Critical Incident Stress Management are typically held within how many hours of the incident?

• A. Within 24 hours
• B. Within 4 hours
• C. Within 1 week
• D. Within 2 hours

Answer: (B)

Early, brief crisis intervention is what defusing sessions aim for in Critical Incident Stress Management. They are intended to happen as soon as possible after the incident—typically within the first few hours, commonly around four hours—to give responders a structured chance to share reactions, normalize feelings, and begin coping strategies before stress reactions consolidate. Holding defusing this early helps reduce the risk of persistent distress and supports a quicker return to duties. It differs from a formal debriefing, which is usually scheduled later and is more in-depth. Waiting longer than a few hours can lessen effectiveness, while waiting within a week misses the timely window; scheduling within two hours may be impractical in many real-world settings.