Experience of Working in Fire Service

Essay by crazyhumCollege, Undergraduate February 2009

download word file, 12 pages 5.0

AbstractThis study was set out to study the experiences of volunteer firefighters in the United State. The results of this study of reveals that firefighters majority belong to white males and they come from a broad range of occupational backgrounds. In addition, according to the results majority believe that this is their main volunteer role and that they are tightly committed to it. Furthermore, author relates characteristics of fire departments to volunteers and draws implications for the further elaboration of this voluntary role.

Experience of Working in Fire ServiceIntroductionVolunteer firefighters provide fire protection to three fourths of the geographical area of the United States. There are estimated to be a million of these individuals and about 25,000 volunteer fire departments in this giant sector of the U.S. fire service (National Fire Protection Association, 1986; Welter, 1986). These organisations date to the 1700s and count George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Aaron Burr, and Benedict Arnold among their founding members (Smith, 1978).

This old form of public service embodies the American values of democracy, patriotism, and grass roots organisational autonomy ( Jacobs, 1976, Perkins, 1987).

Like most voluntary community organisations, volunteer fire departments emerge at the grass roots level. Communities aware of the need for fire service respond by creating their own firefighting unit with recruits from the local area. Members can be committed to altruistic service through a highly visible, action oriented team. For decades, these organisations have thrived on local community culture and support. However, forces now acting against this voluntary action have made it questionable whether the volunteer fire service can survive.

The increasing urbanization and suburbanization that characterize modern society result in more calls for departments, while the demand for service has increased. In many...