| The purpose of the study is to determine what the current status and practices are of firefighting personnel in order to better design training and professional development for firefighters. Firefighting is a dangerous job that is necessary in our society in order to protect life and property. It is therefore essential in our communities to have well trained firefighters available as fire can ravage our homes and business with deadly consequences. This occupation is very treacherous at times and has come to be admired by the public as a commendable career. This descriptive study examines the distribution of firefighter's personal characteristics, antecedents of their decision making strategies as well as firefighting personnel's perceptions of the risks inherent in their jobs.; The impetus for this study was twofold. Obvious gaps in the literature that suggested that firefighters may receive ample technical training, but might not receive enough preparation on decision making processes. Additionally, a realization of the combined physiological and psychological status of a firefighters own body while fighting fires could reduce injuries in the profession.; The results of the study showed that firefighting personnel have strong personality characteristics and several that could conflict with other personnel while making decisions in critical scenarios. Results also showed that firefighting personnel have strong perceptions of their work environment relating to Standard Operating Procedures, culture and norms and the equipment used in professional firefighting.; Firefighting personnel can make use of the knowledge acquired from this study to better prepare themselves and their crews, providing a safer and more efficient work environment. Firefighting administration and department leadership could use these study results to guide and inform themselves and fire personnel about the decision making process and how to assess personal status in a critical situation. This examination can assist any fire department and their employees to gain insight into parts of their jobs that they might otherwise not consider. Additionally, the firefighting profession can utilize the information in this study to examine trends and improve firefighter training and professional development in a timely manner. |
