Systematic Approaches to Motivating Fire Service Employees

Firefighters are known for putting their own lives on the line in order to protect others' lives and property. The events of September 11th, 2001, pointed this out to the entire nation. The fact that firefighters are willing to run into burning buildings while others are trying to get out, or face situations that others find horrific, points to the fact that these individuals are motivated to serve and put service above self. However, even firefighters deal with issues of chronic stress and burnout. Considering the critical role firefighters play in society, it is important to delineate what motivates them to persevere in their chosen field. Firefighters across the country may be either volunteers, typically in smaller rural settings, or paid professionals in urbanized communities. This dissertation provided research into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation relative to professional firefighters in a union environment. Through quantitative research involving a nonexperimental design with a validated and reliable survey instrument, fire chiefs and union represented firefighters were queried as to the degree that firefighters were intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. The results showed that firefighters were, for the most part, motivated through intrinsic means. However, the collected data also demonstrated that extrinsic motivation through forms of recognition is also desired by firefighters. The overall result of this research provides options for fire service leaders to consider in maintaining a highly motivated cadre of firefighters, and thus reducing the potential for chronic stress and burnout to occur. Keywords: Firefighters, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivatio