The purpose of this study was to propose an exploratory causal model that examines the influence of several antecedent variables on burnout. The antecedent variables included age, marital status, education, tenure, Type A personality, Jungian types, death anxiety, leadership style, job satisfaction, stress, coping efficacy, and marital satisfaction. The validity of the causal model was tested by using path analysis. Subjects were 100 male firefighters who completed self-report measures of the predictor variables. Instruments included the Jenkins Activity Survey, Myers- Briggs Type Indicator, Collett-Lester Attitudes Toward Death Scale, Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, Job Descriptive Index, Perceived Job Stress, The Coping Inventory, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Perceived work stress made the only direct contribution to the variance in burnout. Direct paths were found to stress from job satisfaction, Type A personality, and single marital status. Job satisfaction was directly related to leadership (consideration) and the Jungian Introversion, Feeling, and Perceiving preferences. Direct paths were found to marital satisfaction from death anxiety, leadership (consideration), and leadership (structure). Leadership (consideration) was directly related to structure. From the above results, it can be concluded that perception of stress is an important factor in predicting burnout. Other factors are important contributors to stress and have indirect effects on burnout. Implications for the prevention and treatment of job burnout are discussed.

Title: Analysis of improving the physical fitness of rescue brigades and services Cíl práce: The aim of this thesis is to analyze the physical fitness of firefighters ambulance Fire and Rescue Service based on the results of physical tests of individual firefighters for a period of five years. Objective: In this thesis werw used data from regular physical tests Fire Rescue Service. Data were standardized and subsequently evaluated using graphs and T-test. Results: On the basis of the analysis were verified by three hypotheses. Neither of them has not been confirmed. Compared to the expected improvement in physical abilities, the opposite happened, or to their decline. Compared with the general population, they did not reach all members of the Rescue Service of the population average. Key words: physical fitness, rescue brigade, firefighters, physical tests, analysis

La fréquence et la sévérité des feux de forêt de grande ampleur ont augmenté dans les vingt dernières années, par la conjonction de trois tendances lourdes : le réchauffement climatique, l’extension des interfaces périurbaines et l’augmentation de la biomasse. Par conséquent, la fiabilisation des opérations de lutte, et en particulier des équipes de commandement, devient un enjeu important. Mais les opérations de secours constituent surtout une fenêtre particulièrement intéressante sur le fait organisationnel en général et les processus de construction de sens en particulier. En effet, les pompiers sont confrontés à des exigences organisationnelles en conflit : stabiliser le sens des situations pour assurer l’efficacité de l’action collective (processus de contrôle), et le réévaluer en permanence pour détecter et s’adapter aux évolutions inattendues (processus d’écoute). Le contrôle cherche à fiabiliser les apprentissages, capitalise les succès, ignore le bruit, simplifie, privilégie l’anticipation, et oriente l’attention sur les objectifs de l’action et sur la structure. L’écoute cherche à accroitre la validité des apprentissages, valorise l’improvisation, invente, détecte les signaux faibles, complexifie, rebondit, et oriente l’attention sur les conséquences de l’action et sur les relations interpersonnelles.L’hypothèse centrale de cette recherche est que la gestion de ces exigences contradictoires est une source majeure de haute fiabilité. Son design se base sur la comparaison de deux territoires (l’Ouest américain et le sud de la France), et combine plusieurs méthodes : l’observation directe des opérations de secours, l’observation des sessions d’entrainement, et des formations, ainsi qu’une expérimentation sur la plateforme de simulation de la Sécurité Civile française / The frequency and impact of large wildland fires have been increasing for the past 20 years, due to the conjunction of three long term trends: global warming, growing wildland-urban interface and increase in biomass. As a result, enhancing organizational reliability in Incident Management Teams is becoming increasingly important. Examining how firefighters face large disasters is also relevant for organization studies because these situations offer a perspective on organizing and sensemaking. Indeed, firefighters are under conflicting organizational requirements: stabilizing the sense of situations for effective collective action (control processes) and reassessing situations to detect and adapt to unexpected changes (mindful processes). Control focuses on lessons learned, capitalizes on success, ignores noise, simplifies, values anticipation and direct attention on plans and strategies. Mindfulness focuses on improvising, detects weak signals, is reluctant to simplify, values resilience and interpersonal relationships.The central hypothesis of this research is that the successful management of these opposite requirements is an important source of operational reliability. The research is based on a comparison between two territories (the American West and Southern France) and combines several methods: direct observation of firefighting operations, direct observation of Incident Management Teams trainings, the analysis of available archival data, as well as controlled experiments on a France’s Civil Protection simulation training platform

En dépit de moyens importants consacrés à la lutte, certains feux de forêt, en Europe méditerranéenne, en Australie ou en Amérique du Nord, parcourent de grandes surfaces et développent des comportements violents qui piègent les pompiers. L’étude de rapports internes aux services d’incendie révèle ici les conditions météorologiques et topographiques dans lesquelles se produisent ces feux dangereux. En France, alors que le vent violent est le principal contributeur des feux les plus grands et les plus dangereux, les températures élevées mènent à un autre type d’incendies violents qui se propagent rapidement. En Australie, les pompiers sont souvent piégés par une bascule brutale de la direction du vent mais aussi par des vents forts en terrain accidenté. Au-delà des disparités intercontinentales, la recherche des comportements dynamiques de feu impliqués dans plus de 100 accidents de pompiers à travers le monde amène à distinguer trois types d’incendie. Lors des feux topographiques, en zone de montagne, les accidents sont généralement causés par l’attachement de la flamme sur des pentes supérieures à 20°. Lors des feux guidés par le vent, les zones les plus propices aux accidents sont les pentes déventées où des effets de vortex peuvent se produire. Enfin, lors des feux convectifs, les plus violents, les accidents peuvent se produire loin de toute configuration dangereuse. Pour tenir compte de ces résultats et améliorer leur sécurité, les pompiers doivent adapter leur formation et de développer des compétences d’analyste du feu. Ces experts intègreront les retours d’expérience des incendies passés pour proposer les stratégies de lutte les plus efficaces et sécurisées. / Despite the large expenditure that is dedicated to forest fire suppression in Euro-Mediterranean countries, Australia and North-America, firefighters still face large and severe fire events which eventually entrap them. Investigation of Fire Services’ internal reports addresses here the weather and terrain leading to these dangerous fires. In France, strong wind is the main driver of the largest fires and of the fires that entrap firefighters. However, high temperature is also a key contributor as it influences violent fires with high rates of surface spread. In Australia, a lot of firefighters’ entrapments are due to shifts in wind direction, but others are associated to strong winds in rugged terrain. Whatever the regional specificities, more than 100 firefighters’ entrapments across the world were investigated to find the contribution of dynamic fire behaviors in these entrapments. The results return three different types of fires. During topography-influenced fires, in mountainous area, almost all the entrapments happen on slopes steeper than 20°, prone to flame attachment. During wind-driven fires, leeward slopes prone to vorticity-driven lateral fire spread are the most prominent configurations associated with entrapments. Finally, during convective fires, which are the most violent, entrapments can happen far away from any dangerous configuration. Firefighters should adjust their training courses and promote fire behavior analysts (FBAN) capabilities to benefit from the results of this work and improve their safety. FBAN may consider feedbacks from previous fires to suggest the most efficient and secure firefighting strategies and locations.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2016-08-24T12:25:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata da Silva Fernandes.pdf: 2414398 bytes, checksum: 50ebf4fead97413d2ed0e77ef45935eb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-24T12:25:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata da Silva Fernandes.pdf: 2414398 bytes, checksum: 50ebf4fead97413d2ed0e77ef45935eb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-01 / The firefighters exert their activity by submitting to a daily routine of emergency and stressful situations. In addition to the constant contact with the risk and danger, these professionals face emotionally charged in confrontation with suffering and often death. These factors are considered potential triggers of psychosomatic illnesses connected with the exercise of the profession, raising, among others, issues of how firefighters live with these stressors, as they are affected by these adverse conditions that constitute the very nature of their work and what resources use to handle this context. In this perspective, is part of the objective of this work, which is to investigate the levels of stress and burnout in military firefighters and if these illnesses are prevalent, identify the relationship of prevention and reduction of symptoms with the use of coping strategies. In short, it investigates coping strategies can function as the burnout prevention factor and stress in this population. For this purpose, a sample of 148 active firefighters was investigated in São Paulo, where the instruments were applied: Socio Demographic Survey; Stress Scale at Work; Maslach Bunout Inventory - MBI and Inventory of coping strategies Folkman & Lazarus. The results obtained with Stress Scale at Work shows that most firefighters were classified as stress. As for burnout indexes lower level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and high personal achievement. The use of most frequently used coping strategies were focused on the issue / Os bombeiros militares exercem sua atividade submetendo-se a uma rotina diária de situações emergenciais e tensas. Além do convívio constante com o risco e o perigo, estes profissionais enfrentam grande carga emocional no confronto com o sofrimento e muitas vezes a morte. Estes fatores são considerados potenciais desencadeadores de doenças psicossomáticas ligadas ao exercício da profissão, levantando, entre outras, questões de como os bombeiros convivem com estes estressores, como são afetados por estas condições adversas que se constituem na própria natureza de seu trabalho e quais recursos utilizam para lidar com este contexto. Nesta perspectiva, insere-se o objetivo deste trabalho, que é o de investigar os níveis de estresse e burnout nos bombeiros militares e, caso estas doenças profissionais sejam prevalentes, identificar a relação da prevenção e diminuição dos sintomas com a utilização de estratégias de coping. Em síntese, investiga-se se as estratégias de coping podem funcionar como fator de prevenção do burnout e do estresse nesta população. Para tanto, foi investigada uma amostra de 148 bombeiros militares atuantes na cidade de São Paulo, nos quais foram aplicados os instrumentos: Questionário Sócio Demográfico; Escala de Estresse no Trabalho; Maslach Bunout Inventory - MBI e Inventário de estratégias de coping Folkman & Lazarus. Os resultados obtidos com a Escala de Estresse no Trabalho mostra que a maioria dos bombeiros foram classificados com estresse. Quanto ao burnout os índices baixo nível de exaustão emocional, alta despersonalização e alta realização pessoal. A utilização de estratégias de coping mais utilizadas foram as focadas no problema

A profissão de bombeiro é considerada uma das profissões mais exigentes. Trata-se de uma profissão de risco pela natureza das suas funções, onde são confrontados, na sua prática diária, com situações limite, muitas vezes envolvendo graves danos pessoais e materiais, em função das quais os recursos emocionais disponíveis são postos à prova de forma dramática. Estas situações, pela sua frequência são eventualmente indutoras de elevados níveis de stress e, quando continuadas, sem estratégias de enfrentamento adequadas, podem levar ao burnout. O presente estudo tem como propósito contribuir para um conhecimento mais aprofundado acerca destes profissionais, com o intuito de avaliar a percepção que tem sobre o stress no trabalho, assim como verificar a existência de hardiness e de quais estratégias de enfrentamento esta população adota para minimizar este stress percebido, na tentativa de não atingirem o burnout. Trata-se de um estudo de caráter descritivo, comparativo, de abordagem quali-quantitativa e transversal . A amostra foi composta por 132 bombeiros integrantes de um grupamento do Corpo de Bombeiros localizado em uma cidade da grande São Paulo. Foram utilizados os instrumentos Escala de Stress no Trabalho (EET), Escala de Stress Percebido (PSS-10), Maslach Inventory Burnout (MIB), Hardiness Scale (HS), Inventário de Estratégias de Coping de Folkman e Lazarus e um roteiro de questões semiestruturado para caracterização da população do estudo. Para cada bombeiro foi enviado o Termo de Responsabilidade com todos os dados pertinentes ao estudo, assim como o Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido em duas vias, devendo retornar uma das vias juntamente ao restante dos instrumentos, sinalizando a aceitação em participar da pesquisa. A amostra foi predominantemente do sexo masculino (96,9%), com idade média de 37 anos, e com ensino médio completo (59%). Quanto à patente, a maior predominância foi de soldados (57%), em média com 14 anos de trabalho na corporação, e com 11 anos trabalhando no grupamento onde foi realizado o estudo. Os indivíduos apresentaram níveis moderados de stress percebido e stress no trabalho, assim como para todos os domínios de Coping, sendo a estratégia de enfrentamento focada no problema, a mais utilizada pela amostra. Nos três domínios do MIB, o nível alcançado pela amostra também se enquadra como moderado, denotando que esta população não está em burnout. Referente à investigação do Hardiness, os indivíduos apresentaram escores moderados em todos os três domínios, não caracterizando a presença de indivíduos hardy na amostra em questão. Conclui-se que, apesar da inexistência de indivíduos hardy, e mesmo mediante forte demanda psicológica, física e emocional, esta população utiliza estratégias de enfrentamento que evitam o burnout, o que também pode ser explicado pela imensa satisfação em exercerem uma profissão que denota tanta admiração e respeito, sendo este um fator protetor para o stress. / The profession of firefighters is considered one of the most demanding professions. This is a risky profession for their duties, which are confronted in their daily practice, with extreme situations, sometimes involving serious injury or damage, according to which the emotional resources available are put to the test so dramatic. These conditions, by their frequency are eventually induce high levels of stress and when continued without adequate coping strategies can lead to burnout. The present study aims to contribute to a deeper knowledge about these professionals, in order to evaluate the perception that it has on stress at work, as well as check for hardiness and coping strategies which adopts this population to minimize this perceived stress, in an attempt not reach burnout. This is a study of descriptive, comparative, qualitative and quantitative approach and cross. The sample consisted of 132 members of a group from firefighters from the Fire Department located in a city of Sao Paulo. We used the instruments at Work Stress Scale (TSE), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MIB), Hardiness Scale (HS), Coping Strategies Inventory of Folkman and Lazarus, and a script of questions semi-structured to characterize the study population. For each firefighter was sent to the disclaimer with all information pertinent to the study, as well as the Statement of Informed Consent in duplicate and shall return one of the routes along the rest of the instruments, signaling acceptance to participate in the research. A sample was predominantly male (96.9%), mean age 37 years, and completed high school (59%). As for the patent, the highest prevalence was of soldiers (57%), averaging 14 years working in the corporation, and with 11 years working in the group where the study was conducted. The subjects had moderate levels of perceived stress and stress at work, as well as all areas of Coping, and the coping strategy focused on the problem, the most used by the sample. In all three domains of the MIB, the level reached by the sample also fits as a moderate, indicating that this population is not burnout. Referring to the investigation of Hardiness, the subjects had moderate scores in all three areas, not characterizing the presence of individuals \"hardy\" in the sample in question. We conclude that, despite the lack of individuals \"hardy\" and even by strong demand psychological, physical and emotional, this population use coping strategies to prevent burnout, which can also be explained by the immense satisfaction in practicing a profession that denotes admiration and respect, which is a protective factor for stress.

Few existing studies have examined compassion fatigue among emergency responders even though firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals have repetitive direct exposure to traumatic events. This study focused on identifying predictor variables for the development of compassion fatigue in firefighters. Karasek's demand-control model, a commonly used work stress model, was the study's theoretical framework as it focuses on specific construct interactions that predict employee well-being. Accordingly, this correlational study examined the predictive nature of EMS license level, years of service, and personality type on the development of compassion fatigue in career firefighters. Data collection occurred with surveys incorporating the Professional Quality of Life Scale and the Big Five Inventory. Mid-Michigan fire departments participated with 129 career firefighters returning completed surveys with results analyzed using logistic regression. Findings revealed a significant predictive relationship between personality traits and the development of compassion fatigue. These findings can inform preventative measures that protect the psychological well-being of these emergency responders by informing and educating the professionals and organizations as to who is at greatest risk and ultimately providing opportunity for risk mediation.

This dissertation is a social and legal history of one of Iowa's most controversial sex discrimination cases. The study examines the 1979 civil rights complaint of Linda Eaton, Iowa City's first woman firefighter--a white, working-class, single mother who did not consider herself a feminist. Eaton made national news and became the focus of an intense local debate when she was threatened with dismissal for breastfeeding her baby at the fire station. The president of La Leche League spoke out on her behalf, while the local chapter of NOW established a legal defense fund and spearheaded a year-long campaign of support. Mining the personal documents of community members, and using oral history interviews, manuscript collections, and legal documents, this study elevates the importance of grassroots action by demonstrating that local women's sex discrimination complaints and lawsuits were central to the dramatic transformation of workplace policies that began across the U.S. during the 1970s. This study foregrounds the relationship of Eaton's case to Iowa City's vibrant 1970s feminist community, and to national politics. The controversy over Iowa's breastfeeding firefighter reflected and contributed to national struggles over the meaning of gender equality, particularly the complex debates about affirmative action and the Equal Rights Amendment. Because she drew support from both the feminists of NOW and the maternalists of LLL, Eaton's case highlights the problematic intersection of paid and domestic labor in women's lives, especially those of working-class women. Eaton's case critiques the masculine ideal worker standard and makes a bid for working conditions that accommodate women's biosocial role in reproductive labor. This project draws upon previously unavailable records to offer an historical account of the first career women firefighters in the U.S. that identifies the resistance these women met as they encountered the masculine culture of firefighting in the 1970s. It highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of using law to eliminate sex discrimination in the workplace by constructing a vivid portrait of women's slow and painful struggle for full economic citizenship.

<p>Arbetsmiljön är en av de viktigaste bestämningsfaktorerna för vår hälsa. Fysiskt ansträngande arbete så som tunga lyft, monotona rörelser samt exponeringar för olika kemiska ämnen kan leda till ökad risk för ohälsa. Brandmän har jämfört med många andra yrkesgrupper annorlunda förutsättningar i sitt arbete, förutom att bekämpa bränder rycker de ut även ut vid exempelvis vid bil- och kemikalieolyckor samt vid djurräddning. I deras arbetsmiljö blir de utsätta för bland annat psykiska, fysiska och kemiska hälsorisker exempelvis genom bränder, bil- och kemikalieolyckor, som kan leda till olika former av cancer och andra fysiska skador/sjukdomar. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur brandmän upplever de hälsorisker som kan förekomma i deras arbetsmiljö. Kvalitativa intervjuer har genomförts med brandmän på brandstationer i Västerås och Kolbäck. De intervjuade brandmännen har en positiv syn på sin arbetsmiljö och har inte upplevt några hälsoproblem under deras tid som brandmän. De intervjuade anser att deras hälsa kommer att bli bättre och bättre i samband med den fysiska träning de bedriver för att klara arbetet de utför. Det finns en liten medvetenhet om de hälsorisker som kan förekomma och brandmännen försöker i den mån det är möjligt att följa de säkerhetsrutiner som finns.</p> / <p>Work environment is one of the key determinants of our health. Physically strenuous work such as heavy lifting, repetitive movements, and exposures to various chemicals can lead to increased risk of illness. Firefighters have compared to many other professions other prerequisites in their work. Except for fighting fires they also go out, in example for car- and chemical accidents as well as for animal rescue. They are in their work environment exposed, among other things, to mental, physical and chemical risks by, for example fires, car- and chemical accidents, which can lead to various forms of cancer and other physical injuries/diseases The aim of this study was to examine how firefighters perceive the health risks that may occur in their work. Qualitative interviews with firefighters at fire stations in Västerås and Kolbäck has been used as method for this study. The interviewed firefighters have a positive sight on their work environment and have not experienced any health problems during their time as firefighters. They believe that their health will be better and better related to the physical training they undertake in order to cope with the work they perform. There is small awareness of the health risks that may occur and the firefighters are trying as far as possible to comply with the existing security measures.</p>

Arbetsmiljön är en av de viktigaste bestämningsfaktorerna för vår hälsa. Fysiskt ansträngande arbete så som tunga lyft, monotona rörelser samt exponeringar för olika kemiska ämnen kan leda till ökad risk för ohälsa. Brandmän har jämfört med många andra yrkesgrupper annorlunda förutsättningar i sitt arbete, förutom att bekämpa bränder rycker de ut även ut vid exempelvis vid bil- och kemikalieolyckor samt vid djurräddning. I deras arbetsmiljö blir de utsätta för bland annat psykiska, fysiska och kemiska hälsorisker exempelvis genom bränder, bil- och kemikalieolyckor, som kan leda till olika former av cancer och andra fysiska skador/sjukdomar. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur brandmän upplever de hälsorisker som kan förekomma i deras arbetsmiljö. Kvalitativa intervjuer har genomförts med brandmän på brandstationer i Västerås och Kolbäck. De intervjuade brandmännen har en positiv syn på sin arbetsmiljö och har inte upplevt några hälsoproblem under deras tid som brandmän. De intervjuade anser att deras hälsa kommer att bli bättre och bättre i samband med den fysiska träning de bedriver för att klara arbetet de utför. Det finns en liten medvetenhet om de hälsorisker som kan förekomma och brandmännen försöker i den mån det är möjligt att följa de säkerhetsrutiner som finns. / Work environment is one of the key determinants of our health. Physically strenuous work such as heavy lifting, repetitive movements, and exposures to various chemicals can lead to increased risk of illness. Firefighters have compared to many other professions other prerequisites in their work. Except for fighting fires they also go out, in example for car- and chemical accidents as well as for animal rescue. They are in their work environment exposed, among other things, to mental, physical and chemical risks by, for example fires, car- and chemical accidents, which can lead to various forms of cancer and other physical injuries/diseases The aim of this study was to examine how firefighters perceive the health risks that may occur in their work. Qualitative interviews with firefighters at fire stations in Västerås and Kolbäck has been used as method for this study. The interviewed firefighters have a positive sight on their work environment and have not experienced any health problems during their time as firefighters. They believe that their health will be better and better related to the physical training they undertake in order to cope with the work they perform. There is small awareness of the health risks that may occur and the firefighters are trying as far as possible to comply with the existing security measures.