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ss_research_.docxRunning Head: FIREFIGHTS
Abstract
The purpose of conducting this paper was to establish whether the people knew what the work of firefighters entailed, the risks involved, the pay they earn and their usefulness to the society. Information was gathered through giving out questionnaires to ten participants. The paper has established that people do not appreciate the work done by firefighters and also that there exists a lot of misconceptions in so far as the amount that firefighters earn is concerned.
Background
It is very important to analyze the work of firefighters because they are very important persons in our lives in that they usually come to our assistance when we are in need in the time of emergencies and in particular during fire outbreaks and/or accidents. It must be noted from the onset that it is the researcher’s assertion that the fact that firefighters assist us so much in life notwithstanding the society does not come to the aid of the firefighters and therefore they remain a profession that is not afforded the necessary protection in comparison with other professions. It is very critical therefore as the victims of fire accidents that we take care of ourselves and to avoid situations that lead to fire accidents so that we may have the number of fire accidents reduce drastically and in effect reduce the work of firefighters.
The researcher is well seized of the fact that firefighters earn their money and in essence their daily living from fighting fire accidents and outbreaks but there are those who are employed by the state departments and therefore public servants and who don’t require to work on daily basis for them to earn their salaries but they are always called upon to thwart fire accidents in the event of an occurrence. Many scholars have endeavored to research about firefighters regarding different aspects of their work and the effects that ensue as a result of the work that firefighters do. The researchers have gone deeper into explaining route navigation as regarding how firefighters should undertake how to navigate the places where fire outbreak has occurred, the diseases that occur as a result of being in the profession as well as the stress that emanates after rescue operations.
In a nutshell, the researcher was motivated by three things so as to endeavor to research about firefighters. Firstly, the researcher was motivated to write about firefighters because there seems to be little that has been written about firefighters despite the fact that the professional is a potential profession of interest in so far as the writing of academic papers is concerned. Secondly, the researcher was concerned by the way people treated firefighters as well as the risks that firefighters are exposed to in the course of their duty and therefore the urgent need for a clear understanding of such risks. Finally, the researcher had the urge to bring to light on how to proceed forward with a rescue operation in the event that a fire outbreak occurred in a building which the firefighters were not familiar with.
Wagner, Heinrichs and Ehlert attempt to discuss the post-traumatic stress that firefighters in Germany suffer from as a result of engaging in fire rescue operations because of the events that unfold before their eyes when they are rescuing the victims from the fire (Wagner, Heinrichs and Ehlert, 1998). It is the researchers assertion that any reasonable man in the position of a firefighter will also be susceptible to suffering from stress as some of the images will later on keep recurring in the minds of such persons and therefore because firefighters are also human they are bound to suffer from such stress. Wagner, Ehlert and Heinrichs also analyze the comorbid symptoms after conducting a research survey on former firefighters.
In navigating buildings that are new to firefighters when conducting rescue operations, the firefighters will likely be unable to find their way around the building. It is this problem that Bliss, Guest and Tidwell try to provide a solution to. The said writers conduct and a survey and group firefighters in different groups and train them and the outcome is that the firefighters who undertake the training respond better in a mock fire rescue operation in a new building in comparison to those who did not undertake the training (Bliss, Guest and Tidwell, 1997). The researcher agrees to the findings of these scholars because it goes without saying that a person who undertakes training will always supersede one who does not undertake the training in a particular area.
Method
In conducting this research, Questionnaires were handed out in class on 14 June 2016 to ten students to establish how well they understood this profession and results were collected from all the ten students and analyzed. The purpose of choosing the questionnaire was because they are not only easy to administer but you can regulate the information that you want from the participants.
Results
According to the survey 60% of the students believed that they earned between $60000-$90000, three students which is 30% said that it was between $35000 and $55000 whereas one student representing 10% replied that it was between $20000 and $35000.
The answer as to whether the students were aware of any risks and/or diseases that firefighters exposed themselves was that nine representing 90% of the surveyed students saw that the job was stressful and that the firefighters risked getting burned while conducting the rescue missions whereas one student amounting to 10% answered that he did not see any risk that came along with being a firefighter.
All students agreed firefighters are the people who are tasked with saving lives and properties in the event of a fire outbreak. All students agreed that the profession is very important to the society.
Figure 1 : Percentages indicating what students thought firefighters earned with blue indicating $65000-$90000, purple indicating $35000-$55000 and orange indicating $20000-$35000
Figure 2: Indicates percentage of students who knew the risks faced by firefighters with 90% well aware and 10% not aware
Figure 3: Shows understanding of students on the job description of firefighters
Figure 4: Indicates the number of students who knew importance of firefighters
Discussion
From the results gathered it became clear to the researcher that many students thought firefighters earned very much contrary to the situation on ground because the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that a firefighter earned an average of $47,720 per annum.
It is also evident from the results that students appreciated that appreciated the risks that firefighters exposed themselves to when doing rescue operations as well as the usefulness of the profession to the society. Indeed, the students also understood the job description of firefighters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is the researcher’s assertion that all the students did not give any disease that a firefighter can suffer as a result of his or her work and therefore it means that such information has not been publicized. Furthermore, most of the students thought that firefighters earned so much and therefore this means that the salaries of firefighters is less in comparison to the duties they undertake. It is therefore my assertion that students understand the firefighting profession well save for the fact that most of the students thought that firefighters earned a lot contrary to the real situation on ground and also that the students were not aware of any diseases that firefighters exposed themselves to as a result of their job.
Recommendations
The following recommendations would improve students’ knowledge about the work of firefighters:
1. Revise their salaries upwards such that a firefighter will earn an annual salary of at least $65000 and this can be done through doing a job assessment of their work and the authorities tasked with paying them will increase their salaries accordingly.
2. Educate people about the dangers involved in the profession through conducting of seminars and also through the media and in particular educate them about the risks/diseases that firefighters encounter in their course of duty.
3. Teach firefighters on how to navigate buildings they are unfamiliar with in the event of a fire accident.
REFERENCES
Bliss, J.P., Tidwell, P.D. and Guest, M.A., 1997. The effectiveness of virtual reality for administering spatial navigation training to firefighters. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(1), pp.73-86.
Kern, D.G., Neill, M.A., Wrenn, D.S. and Varone, J.C., 1993. Investigation of a unique time space cluster of sarcoidosis in firefighters. American Review of Respiratory Disease, 148(4_pt_1), pp.974-980.
Newman, K. L., & Newman, L. S. (2012). Occupational causes of sarcoidosis. Current opinion in allergy and clinical immunology, 12(2), 145.
Torr, J.D., 2004. Responding to Attack: Firefighters and Police. Lucent Books
Wagner, D., Heinrichs, M. and Ehlert, U., 1998. Prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in German professional firefighters. American Journal of Psychiatry, pp. 1727- 1732.
Appendix A
1. How much money do you think a firefighter earns in a year?
2. Do you know what the work of a firefighter entails? If yes, describe
3. Do you think firefighters are useful in the society?
4. Are you aware of any risks/diseases firefighters expose themselves to in discharging their duties? If yes, state them
KNOWLEDGE ON JOB DESCRIPTION
Sales 1.0 1.2
KNOWLEDGE ON IMPORTANCE TO THE SOCIETY
Sales 1.0 1.2
KNOWLEDGE ON SALARY
Column1 $60000-$90000 $35000-$55000 $20000-$45000 6.0 3.0 1.0
KNOWLEDGE ON RISKS/DISEASES
Sales 0.9 0.1 9.0 1.0
