Job satisfaction, career plateau, and the perception of promotability of full-time firefighters and officers within the Minnesota fire servic

Formal research papers prepared by current and past Chief Officers across the United States, along with articles sited in Fire Engineering, have indicated that a crisis exists in the development of future leaders within the fire service. This study examined the extent to which the Minnesota fire service personnel perceive promotability by examining job satisfaction and career plateau. The purpose of this study was to address the identified knowledge gap by understanding the relationship between job satisfaction, perceived career plateau, and the perception of promotability within the Minnesota fire service. Data was collected from more than 75 Minnesota firefighters via an online survey. The population consisted of male and female fire personnel located within the state of Minnesota with ages greater than 18 years. A quantitative methodology utilized two existing instruments: the Job Satisfaction Survey and an adaption of the Career Plateau Survey to collect the data. Simple and multi linear regression analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. Results showed as the overall job satisfaction of employees increased, the more disagreement they have with being plateaued for both internal and external career plateaus. The results of this study can help organizational leaders understand the importance of continued professional growth as communities depend on them to protect the lives and property that they support.