Job Characteristics of Firefighters: A Survey-Based Analysis

Abstract

The duties of fire officials extend beyond physical tasks to include significant psychological and social responsibilities aimed at protecting human life and property. However, repeated emergency dispatches, hazardous field responses, and long working hours can lead to job stress and exhaustion, ultimately reducing job performance and organizational efficiency. This study investigated the duties and performance levels of fire officials by analyzing data from a nationwide survey conducted from January 1 to May 31, 2025. The questionnaire consisted of eight items on general characteristics and nine items related to job stress. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0, and reliability testing indicated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .835). The average job performance score among participants was 2.75 out of 5. Significant differences in job performance were observed based on years of service, rank, and employment route (p < 0.01). These findings aim to contribute to enhancing the job efficiency of fire officials and improving national safety by identifying key aspects of their duties and examining variations across demographic and professional characteristics.

1. Introduction

In 21st-century modern society, industrialization, urbanization, and climate change have increased the likelihood of various disasters and accidents. In this environment, the role of firefighters has expanded beyond simple fire suppression to encompass diverse areas such as rescue and emergency medical services, disaster prevention, and safety education. They play crucial roles in protecting the lives and property of the public. In particular, the rapid and accurate response of firefighters to unexpected emergencies, such as large-scale fires, natural disasters, and traffic accidents, is a core element of the social safety net [1,2].

However, systematic research on firefighters’ job characteristics, work environments, job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational role performance remains relatively limited. Firefighters’ duties involve significant physical and psychological strain, and errors in judgment during emergency situations directly affect public safety. Therefore, analyzing the current state of job performance and the challenges they face is a crucial academic and social task. Furthermore, the job characteristics of firefighters, compared to other public service occupations, involve unique structural and environmental factors, necessitating research to clearly understand and analyze these factors [3,4,5].

The job of firefighters goes beyond simply performing physical activities; it encompasses the psychological and social responsibility to protect human life and property. Repetitive emergency dispatches, hazardous site responses, and long working hours can lead to job stress and burnout, ultimately impacting job performance and organizational efficiency. Therefore, systematically analyzing the job characteristics and job-related factors of firefighters is essential for practical purposes, such as organizational management, personnel allocation, education and training program design, and policy formulation [6,7].

This study aims to analyze the duties of firefighters from various perspectives and identify the problems and improvement measures that arise during job performance. Through this analysis, we hope to enhance the job efficiency of firefighters, ultimately contributing to public safety and improving the effectiveness of organizational operations.

2. Research Methods

2.1 Research Subjects

This study conducted a descriptive survey of firefighters’ job performance using a structured questionnaire. Firefighters nationwide were surveyed through the Onnara Administrative Work Management System 2.0 from January 1, 2025, to May 31, 2025. A total of 225 responses were included in the final analysis.

2.2 Data Collection and Analysis Methods

This study examined firefighters’ job performance, and data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS 24.0.

1. To identify the general characteristics of the participants, frequency analysis was conducted to calculate frequencies and percentages (%).

2. To evaluate the reliability of the job measurement tool, Cronbach’s α coefficient was calculated.

3. To determine the overall level of firefighters’ job performance, descriptive statistical analysis was performed.

4. To examine differences in job performance based on general characteristics, a one-way ANOVA was conducted, followed by Duncan’s test as a post-hoc analysis.

2.3 Research Tools

This study used the questionnaire developed by Chae [8], based on prior research on firefighter job performance. The instrument consists of 17 items, including 8 questions on general characteristics and 9 questions on work cooperation. All items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much). Reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach’s α of .835, exceeding the accepted standard of 0.6 and indicating strong internal consistency of the measurement data.

3. Research Results

3.1 General Characteristics of the Study Participants

The general characteristics of the study participants are presented in Table 1. By sex, 189 participants were men (84%) and 36 were women (16%). By age, 6 participants (2.7%) were in their 20s (21–30 years), 51 (22.7%) were in their 30s (31–40 years), 56 (24.9%) were in their 40s (41–50 years), and 112 (49.8%) were in their 50s (51–60 years).

Table 1. General characteristics.

Regarding length of service, 21 participants (9.3%) had worked for 5 years or less, 50 (22.2%) for 6–10 years, 15 (6.7%) for 11–15 years, 25 (11.1%) for 16–20 years, 19 (8.4%) for 21–25 years, 34 (15.1%) for 26–30 years, and 61 (27.1%) for 31 years or more. By position, 21 participants (9.3%) were rescue workers, 53 (23.6%) were firefighters, 68 (30.2%) were paramedics, and 83 (36.9%) worked in administrative or office roles. In terms of rank, there were 21 firefighters (9.3%), 30 fire sergeants (13.3%), 37 fire lieutenants (16.4%), 55 fire captains (24.4%), 67 fire inspectors (29.8%), and 15 fire chiefs (6.7%).

Of the total participants, 184 (81.8%) were married, and 41 (18.2%) were single. Regarding the entry route into the firefighting service, 16 participants (7.1%) entered through rescue special recruitment, 37 (16.4%) through emergency medical technician special recruitment, 152 (67.6%) through open competitive recruitment, 3 (1.3%) through mandatory firefighting special recruitment, and 17 (7.6%) through other routes.

In terms of educational background, 38 participants (16.9%) were high school graduates, 53 (23.6%) were junior college graduates, 114 (50.7%) were university graduates, and 20 (8.9%) held graduate-level degrees.

3.2 Overall Level of Firefighters’ Job Performance

Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to determine the overall level of firefighters’ job performance, and the results are presented in Table 2. The overall average score was 2.75 points, which falls between “not much” (2 points) and “average” (3 points). The mean scores for the sub-items related to work cooperation were as follows:

“I think I can perform the job I am assigned to well.” (M = 2.99)

“I think I can successfully solve even difficult tasks if I work hard.” (M = 2.98)

“I can confidently explain the job I am assigned.” (M = 3.04)

“If given the opportunity, I would like to take on a job with more responsibility.” (M = 2.94)

“I think it is important to set goals and pursue them for job performance.” (M = 2.76)

“I clearly know the job I am performing within the organization.” (M = 2.56)

“I need a high level of technology and know-how to perform my job smoothly.” (M = 2.45)

“Considerable effort is needed to achieve my job goals.” (M = 2.48)

“I know exactly what I have to do in my job.” (M = 2.51)

Table 2. The overall level of the duties of a fire official.

¹⁾ Likert 5-point scale: 1=t’s not like that at all., 3=normal, 5=That’s very much the case.

3.3 Differences in Firefighter Job Duties Based on General Characteristics

The differences in firefighter job duties based on general characteristics are presented in Table 3. For years of service, significant variation was found in the item “I can confidently explain the job I am in charge of.” Scores were as follows: 5 years or less (M = 3.81), 6–10 years (M = 3.32), 11–15 years (M = 2.27), 16–20 years (M = 2.72), 21–25 years (M = 3.32), 26–30 years (M = 2.85), and 31 years or more (M = 2.90), showing a statistically significant difference (p < .05). The Duncan post-hoc test indicated that the 26–30 years and 31 years or more groups scored higher than the 11–15 years and 16–20 years groups.

Table 3. Differences in duties of fire officials according to general characteristics.

p<.05, **p<.01

For the item “If given the opportunity, I would like to take on a job with more responsibility,” statistically significant differences (p < .05) were also observed across years of service: 5 years or less (M = 3.81), 6–10 years (M = 3.00), 11–15 years (M = 2.20), 16–20 years (M = 2.84), 21–25 years (M = 3.32), 26–30 years (M = 2.85), and 31 years or more (M = 2.74). According to the Duncan post-hoc test, the group with 5 years or less had higher scores than the 11–15 years group.

Job differences by rank also showed statistically significant variation (p < .05) for the item “I think I can successfully solve difficult jobs if I work hard.” Mean scores were: firefighters (M = 2.05), fire instructors (M = 3.03), fire chiefs (M = 3.24), fire commissioners (M = 2.75), fire inspectors (M = 3.18), and fire lieutenants (M = 3.47). The Duncan post-hoc test indicated that fire lieutenants scored higher than firefighters.

Similarly, for the item “I can confidently explain the job I am responsible for,” statistically significant differences (p < .05) were found between firefighters (M = 2.38), fire instructors (M = 3.60), fire chiefs (M = 3.30), fire commissioners (M = 2.82), fire inspectors (M = 3.00), and fire lieutenants (M = 3.27). The post-hoc results showed that officers scored higher than firefighters.

Differences by employment path were also significant (p < .05) for the item “I can confidently explain the job I am responsible for.” Mean scores were: special recruitment—structural workers (M = 2.13), special recruitment—emergency medical workers (M = 3.03), public recruitment of firefighters (M = 3.12), mandatory firefighters (M = 3.00), and others (M = 3.29). The Duncan post-hoc test revealed that public recruitment and “others” scored higher than the special recruitment of structural workers.

4. Discussion and Conclusion

This study sought to improve firefighters’ job efficiency and, ultimately, enhance organizational effectiveness by assessing their overall job performance and examining differences according to general characteristics. Based on the primary findings, several implications emerged.

A review of the descriptive statistics indicates an overall average score of 2.75, which falls between “not very good (2 points)” and “average (3 points),” suggesting a generally low level of job awareness. This result aligns with previous research [9], which similarly reported that firefighters lack full confidence and sufficient understanding of their job roles. Among the sub-items, comparatively higher scores for statements such as “I believe I can solve difficult tasks with effort” and “I can confidently explain my job” reflect a relatively strong level of self-efficacy regarding personal capabilities. These findings suggest that firefighters hold positive beliefs about their individual competence, even if broader job clarity is limited.

In contrast, lower scores for items such as “I have a clear understanding of my job duties within the organization,” “I require a high level of skills and know-how to perform my job,” and “I require significant effort to achieve my job objectives” fell below the overall average. This pattern implies that specific job content and performance standards within the fire department may not be sufficiently well-defined, or that systematic training related to job requirements may be lacking. In other words, although firefighters demonstrate a baseline sense of confidence, their understanding of the precise scope, goals, and technical demands of their roles appears relatively low. These findings highlight the need for organizational support measures such as clearer job definitions, enhanced practical training, and the establishment of standardized job performance criteria. Such improvements are expected to strengthen work efficiency as well as job satisfaction within fire departments.

Analysis of job-perception differences across general characteristics revealed statistically significant variations by years of service, rank, and career path. These results indicate that firefighters’ understanding of their jobs, levels of confidence, and attitudes toward work are shaped differently depending on their career trajectories and occupational environments [3,9].

First, job perception score for the item “I can confidently explain my duties” were lower among those with 11–15 and 16–20 years of services compared to those groups. This pattern suggests that mid-level firefighters may be navigating a transition between practical and managerial roles, a period in which expanding responsibilities and new workloads can reduce their job confidence [5].

Furthermore, those with 5 years or less of service showed a significantly higher agreement to the item “I want to take on a more responsible job” than those with 11–15 years of service. This indicates that early-career firefighters tend to have greater motivation to take on organizational challenges. In contrast, the decline in job engagement among mid-career firefighters may stem from burnout, heavier workloads, and stress related to promotion competition that typically intensifies during this stage [10].

Regarding job differences by rank, fire captains scored significantly higher than firefighters on the item “I can overcome difficult tasks with effort.” Fire captains and fire chiefs also scored higher than firefighters in confidence regarding job description. This reflects a general trend of increasing self-efficacy as rank increases, supported by accumulated job knowledge, field experience, and decision-making abilities. The high self-efficacy observed in command and management positions is likely linked to greater command experience, decision-making authority, and broader training and education opportunities [11].

Regarding differences by job entry path, those recruited through structural recruitment showed lower confidence in describing their job than all other groups. This may be due to the nature and intensity of the work, as well as the limited diversity of tasks assigned to them. In contrast, open recruitment, which includes comprehensive basic and practical training, appears to strengthen overall job understanding.

In summary, firefighters’ job perceptions varied significantly depending on career stage, rank, and entry path. Low job confidence among mid-level employees, low self-efficacy among lower-level employees, and limited job understanding among specialized recruits emerged as key patterns. These findings point to the need to strengthen organization-level job training systems, develop career transition and burnout prevention programs for mid-level staff, and provide competency-based training tailored to different entry paths. Such measures are expected to enhance not only individual job competency but also overall organizational effectiveness and field response capabilities.