An investigation of firefighters’ repeated exposure to trauma

Abstract

Professional firefighters experience repeated exposures to trauma due to the challenging and changing nature of their work; since 1980, firefighters’ work has fundamentally changed and call volume has quadrupled. Presently, firefighters now respond to more non-fire related calls than actual fires with emergency medical calls, car accidents, rescues, and other disasters comprising most of their work. Prior research regarding both professional and volunteer firefighters, largely views firefighter coping mechanisms as negative, at best, and harmful, at worst. Although the literature addresses a range of coping mechanisms, little attention is given to how firefighters continue to sustain their work in the profession, even with repeated exposures to trauma. The purpose of this study is to examine how firefighters successfully persist despite the routine, demanding, and traumatic nature of their work. Through a qualitative design, this study utilized semi-structured interviews with professional firefighters, and one professional counselor in a Midwestern suburban area. Supporting information from documents related to firefighter training and education were also examined. This study contributes to the existing literature by identifying how professional firefighters in one Midwestern suburban area develop resilience despite repeated exposures to trauma. This study also identifies well-established coping mechanisms within the firefighting profession (e.g., dark humor, table talk) which contribute to increased resilience among firefighters. These findings have implications for fire department leadership, firefighter training and education, and counselor education.