Active emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. It is important to keep in mind that stress levels can be elevated dramatically during these events. Our bodies can have different reactions to the increased stress caused by active emergencies. Everyone experiences these effects differently.
The two most commonly experienced stressor effects are tunnel vision and tunnel hearing. Tunnel vision is the narrowing of the visual field due to a loss of peripheral and even frontal vision. Tunnel hearing is when one’s hearing becomes focused on one source of sound, like a person talking directly in front of you or notifications on your phone, or the siren of an approaching emergency vehicle.
How do I know I am experiencing Tunnel Vision?
Tunnel vision is exactly what it sounds like. Someone experiencing tunnel vision will experience a noticeable narrowing of their visual field. Your vision may seem like you are looking through a straw or paper towel roll, as depicted in the simulated view below.
How do I know I am experiencing Tunnel Hearing?
Tunnel hearing is when someone experiences a partial loss or complete loss of their ability to hear sounds. Our senses will be functioning still, but at a reduced capacity. Sometimes our hearing will not be comprehended because our brains will simply ignore it during times of high stress, as may be experienced during an active emergency. Neuroscientists call this phenomenon auditory exclusion.
When one suffers from tunneled senses their situational awareness is vulnerable because important clues and cues are likely to be missed. Situational awareness is knowing your environment and what is occurring around you. Situational awareness uses all of your senses to be fully aware of what is going on around you.
“How do I maintain my situational awareness if I am in a high-stress-level situation?”
Active emergencies are high-stress-level environments. It is important to notice if you are experiencing tunnel hearing and vision since this can result in decreased situational awareness.
If you feel that your vision or hearing is tunneling, try to calm yourself with breathing techniques like inhaling and exhaling deeply and consistently. Another tactic to try to snap out of tunneled senses is to visually and audibly scan your surroundings.
If you would like to learn about situational awareness and/or tunnel vision, OPTU will be offering a course soon. OPTU’s “Smart Response to Active Emergencies” Course is designed to develop you and your team members on how to improve your emergency response to an active emergency. Check the following link to see if the course is available yet. https://optu.com/e-response/
