TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predispositional hypothesis related to the “rescue personality” and the mental health of firefighter recruits.Design/methodology/approach This study compared responses to a written set of personality and mental health measures between firefighter recruits and non-rescue comparison participants – individually matched based on age, gender, ethnicity, and marital status. Data analysis involved statistical one-way between subjects analyses of variance complemented with epidemiological paired odds ratio calculations.Findings The results indicated that firefighter recruits self-reported as less open to experience, less neurotic, and less Type A. They also self-reported as less likely to report somatization, hostility, and posttraumatic stress symptomatology than comparison participants. Recruits were higher in extraversion and conscientiousness, but indicated no differences in perceptions of risk or sensation-seeking behaviour.Originality/value The present study contributes to the literature on firefighter recruits and provides some initial data regarding personality of those attracted to the fire services, as well as information about the mental health of firefighters prior to service. Mitchell’s “rescue personality” was partly supported and evidence was provided suggesting that new recruits have strong self-perceived mental health.
VL  - 5
IS  - 2
SN  - 2047-0894
DO  - 10.1108/IJES-08-2016-0015
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJES-08-2016-0015
AU  - Wagner Shannon
AU  - Fraess-Phillips Alex
AU  - Mikkelson Kelly
PY  - 2016
Y1  - 2016/01/01
TI  - Recruit firefighters: personality and mental health
T2  - International Journal of Emergency Services
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 199
EP  - 211
Y2  - 2024/04/19
ER  -