Critical Incident Stress Debriefing should be conducted within how many hours after the incident?

• A. 12 hours
• B. 72 hours
• C. 24 hours
• D. 48 hours

Answer: (B)

After a traumatic incident, providing support soon after helps responders process what happened, normalize their reactions, and identify anyone who needs further help. The timing is important: the debriefing should happen while reactions are fresh enough to discuss but not so soon that people are still overwhelmed and unable to engage effectively.

The commonly cited window for Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is within 72 hours of the incident. This three-day period balances being close enough to the event to address acute reactions and still allowing individuals to participate with some emotional processing already underway. A window of 12 hours is typically too soon for most people to engage productively, and while 24 or 48 hours can occur, 72 hours is the standard reference used in many guidelines and exam materials.