In this keynote Andrea will share some fascinating insights into the fast developing evidence base on first response; she will explain how we can learn from different fields of research to improve our effectiveness during and after critical incidents. Andrea will not only show us the science, but also the direct implications it has for our work, using case examples from previous incidents. She will also share her lived experience from the 2021 floodings; 180 people died and 800 people were injured in the region where she lives. Mitigating impact and stabilizing ourselves will improve our capacity to assist others, when the going gets tough.