What kind of object will give an effect to the fire fighter at the scene of a fire? According to a previous research, the fire fighter answered that they have been mostly influenced by the commander. Especially, when the commander shouted or cursed to...
What kind of object will give an effect to the fire fighter at the scene of a fire? According to a previous research, the fire fighter answered that they have been mostly influenced by the commander. Especially, when the commander shouted or cursed to them, and ordered them to enter into the burning building by force, they got severe stress. I wonder commanders really cried and gave the bad language to fire fighters as they insisted. Would commanders also give them an order to go forward the inner part of the dangerous building? How did they react when they heard about the bad language and yell from the commander? That's the necessity of this research. And, only fire fighters received a stress? Probably commanders also got a stress at the scene of a fire. If a commander got a stress, I wonder what the main factor is and how big it is.
The purpose of this thesis is to suggest the best way that the fire fighters and commanders can prevent and minimize stress at the scene of a fire through the research and analysis on the above basic problem.
The target of the research limited to the lower commanders who could give a great impact to the fire fighters. I surveyed the questionnaire to the fire lieutenant group(210 persons, 49.2%) and fire captain group(217 persons, 50.8%) who entered into the National Fire Service Academy to take an education. I handed out the questionnaire to 453 persons, however I had to remove some questionnaires since they answered insincerely. Finally, I got a data total 427 sheets and analyzed them with Excel 2007 program and SPSS(18.0).
The survey was composed by following;
At first, have the lower commanders recognized well the mental state of the firemen?
Secondly, what is the best cause bringing on stress at the scene of a fire?
Thirdly, experience, number, reason, and result of the abuse and yell.
Fourthly, what is the obstacle thing during the command at the scene?
Lastly, what do you need to improve your ability of command?
The result showed that the lower commanders have not recognized well the sense of their crews(The first factor was a commander, and the second one was a co-fire fighter). And 47.1% of respondents were replied that they got experiences to shout and curse to the fire fighters at the scene. Especially, 2.5% commanders habitually yelled and gave a bad language to their staffs for they had experiences over 31 times still now. Why did they shout and abuse? The first reason was that the fire fighters didn't act aggressively at the time they were going to suppress the fire and operate the rescue mission.
After the shout and abuse, how the fire fighters reacted? They started moving actively(87.2%), and the fire suppression and rescue operation were shorter than before(84.7%). When the lower commander shouted and cursed to their fire fighters, it worked positively at the operation. 53 respondents(12.4%) said "Yes", when they were asked that you have an experience to give an order forcibly to the fire fighters to enter into the burning building. However, the rest 374 persons(87.6%) said "No".
According to the analysis, the lower commanders got the severe stress when the upper commander shouted or cursed to them, and gave the same order to enter into the burning structure even though the lower commanders and fire fighters proposed it should be dangerous or impossible. Nevertheless, when the fire eater acted so passively that the fire suppression and the rescue operation got to be hesitated, the lower commanders got the greatest stress at the scene of a fire. Eventually, the lower commanders were mostly affected by the upper commanders.
To prevent and relieve stress of the junior commanders, the fire service organization and we need to do the following;
First, the government must develop the program for overcoming the job stress to relieve PTSD and stress of fire officials.
Second, the National Emergency Management Association should have opportunities to understand the each other's position between the fire fighters and commanders, such as a role play and sharing their experience.
Third, the fire service organization(NEMA) have to spread the simulation for command training to the each fire station and make a standard that all fire fighters and commanders should drill periodically at the virtual situation like the real situation. And they will probably memorize and know thoroughly their role and mission at the scene of a fire and disaster. It will work positively at the really situation and they won't get stress any more.
Fourth, the National Fire Service Academy should add the contents about the improvement of the command ability in the cyber course. All the lower commanders can approach this cyber contents and learn how to command at the scene of a fire.
As I performed this study, the respondents answered at the questionnaire with only their memories or experiences and I failed to set up the normal standard on the level of the answer in spite of personal difference. However, the government and National Fire Academy must assist 4 kinds of my proposal to the fire station and fire fighters. And I wish this research provides a great opportunity to the junior commanders and the fire fighters to prevent and relieve the stress of the scene.