Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment in Fire Departments: The Case of the US Fire Service

2021 ◽  
pp. 361-386
Author(s):  
John C. Griffith ◽  
Donna L. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Fire Departments ◽  
The Us ◽  
In Fire

Gender Differences in Barriers to Occupational Health in Fire Service

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amruta A. Mardikar ◽  
Laurie E. Steffen ◽  
Nathan A. Kimbrel ◽  
Christina Fay ◽  
Rose T. Zimering ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
In Fire

scholarly journals Applying the Social Vulnerability Index as a Leading Indicator to Protect Fire-Based Emergency Medical Service Responders’ Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8049
Author(s):  
Emily J. Haas ◽  
Alexa Furek ◽  
Megan Casey ◽  
Katherine N. Yoon ◽  
Susan M. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Fire Departments ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Leading Indicator ◽  
Increased Risk

During emergencies, areas with higher social vulnerability experience an increased risk for negative health outcomes. However, research has not extrapolated this concept to understand how the workers who respond to these areas may be affected. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) merged approximately 160,000 emergency response calls received from three fire departments during the COVID-19 pandemic with the CDC’s publicly available Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to examine the utility of SVI as a leading indicator of occupational health and safety risks. Multiple regressions, binomial logit models, and relative weights analyses were used to answer the research questions. Researchers found that higher social vulnerability on household composition, minority/language, and housing/transportation increase the risk of first responders’ exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Higher socioeconomic, household, and minority vulnerability were significantly associated with response calls that required emergency treatment and transport in comparison to fire-related or other calls that are also managed by fire departments. These results have implications for more strategic emergency response planning during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as improving Total Worker Health® and future of work initiatives at the worker and workplace levels within the fire service industry.

Bridging the Gaps

2020 ◽  
pp. 190-204
Author(s):  
Fatima Dobani ◽  
Michelle L. Pennington ◽  
Elizabeth Coe ◽  
Patrick Morrison ◽  
Suzy Bird Gulliver
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Valuable Resource ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Oriented Approach

Peer support, as part of a recovery-oriented approach to treatment, is a valuable resource across various clinical and nonclinical populations. Specifically, in fire service, peer support may bridge the gap between firefighters' behavioral health needs and access to professional services. The current chapter summarizes the literature on peer support utility, presents data on barriers to treatment, and describes the roles clinicians can fill in partnering with fire service peer support to enhance the quality and reach of behavioral health services offered to fire service personnel. Finally, future research directions are outlined to continue the conversation about how to improve collaborations between peer supporters, clinicians, and others working to support the needs and strengths of firefighters.

Organizational Description and Emergency Preparedness of Nationally Registered First Responders

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R. Studnek ◽  
Antonio R. Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Fire Departments ◽  
Community Size ◽  
Service Type ◽  
In Fire

AbstractIntroduction: This study intended to describe the types of organizations and communities in which Nationally Registered First Responders (NRFR) perform their duties. Also, it aimed to estimate the number of NRFR who received disaster preparedness training. It was hypothesized that NRFR participation in disaster preparedness training was related to the types of organizations and communities in which they performed their duties.Methods: The NRFR re-registering in 2006 were asked to report the organization type and community size in which they work. They also were asked to report the amount and content of preparedness training received during the last 24 months. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was utilized to describe the relationship between NRFR organizational characteristics and the receipt of disaster preparedness training.Results: The analysis included 872 (59%) individuals who completed the survey and reported working for one or more emergency medical services (EMS) organizations. The majority of NRFR performed work in rural areas (75%) and more NRFR reported working for fire departments (61%) than for any other organization type. In all categories of service type, participants who reported working in urban areas had higher odds of receiving disaster preparedness training than those working in rural areas. Additionally, regardless of community size, individuals working in fire departments were more likely to receive disaster preparedness training.Conclusions: This study indicated that the majority of NRFR perform EMS duties for fire departments and work in rural communities. In this sample of NRFR, more than one-quarter did not receive disaster preparedness training within a 24-month period. Finally, a statistical model was constructed that indicated a relationship between service type, community size, and the participation in disaster preparedness training.

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