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Article
Publication date: 16 January 2023

Andrea M. Headley, Christa Remington, Kaila Witkowski, Santina L. Contreras and Nazife Emel Ganapati

This project specifically aims to examine (1) the individual impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on first responders, (2) the organizational impact of COVID-19 on first

Abstract

Purpose

This project specifically aims to examine (1) the individual impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on first responders, (2) the organizational impact of COVID-19 on first response agencies and (3) policy and organizational response and support efforts to mitigate potentially harmful effects of the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' conducted a mixed-methods analysis, including a review of secondary sources (e.g. government documents, organizational policies and news pieces), state-level policies, encompassing surveys, in-depth semi-structured interviews and PhotoVoice focus groups.

Findings

COVID-19 compounded many of the inherent risks facing first responders and added new stressors. First responders assumed added responsibilities during the pandemic which increased workloads, job-related stress, burnout, distance from the community and first responders' feelings of frustration. Even with personal protective equipment (PPE), first responders faced greater exposure to individuals with COVID-19 and were primarily concerned with transmitting the virus to family members, or other members of the first responders' support networks. State-level COVID-19 policies that were geared toward first responders aimed to improve the first responders' personal lives outside of work and mitigate burnout within the profession. First response agencies adapted to the pandemic by implementing a wide range of measures.

Practical implications

First responders also identified several weaknesses in the first responders' agencies' approach to the pandemic. To prepare for the next public health emergency, first response agencies should proactively train employees, build up the first responders' supplies of equipment and PPE, implement policies to strengthen their workforce (e.g. increase hiring for understaffed positions, reduce turnover and mitigate role abandonment), allow for greater employee autonomy, improve communication between leaders and employees and prioritize employees' mental health, as well as other factors relating to departments' informal culture.

Originality/value

This is one of the largest studies conducted on three types of first responders (police officers, fire firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics) across the United States of America during a public health crisis.

Details

International Journal of Emergency Services, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2047-0894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2010

Chad R. Allred and R. Bruce Money

Simple transactions are evolving into complex service relationships that require the attention of multiple organizations. When integrated products fail, customers must determine…

2035

Abstract

Purpose

Simple transactions are evolving into complex service relationships that require the attention of multiple organizations. When integrated products fail, customers must determine which organization is responsible and capable of resolving the problem. If the initial firm contacted cannot resolve the problem, it is then passed on to another until resolution. The objective of this paper is to determine how customer satisfaction with one organization may be moderated by the subsequent performance of another organization following the service issue hand‐off.

Design/methodology/approach

Data otherwise unavailable from the market are collected using a unique, longitudinal internet‐based experiment, wherein customer satisfaction is monitored throughout a complex exchange experience. During the exchange, problem ownership transfers from one firm's service organization to that of another.

Findings

Results show three forms of damage resulting from a service hand‐off: a credibility loss; a dissatisfaction compounding effect; and a resolution delivery failure effect. When problem resolution requires the attention of a second service provider, customer perceptions of the initial service provider are influenced by the performance of the second provider.

Practical implications

A service provider can often avoid substantial damage to customer satisfaction by establishing, a priori, formal back‐end partnerships with other service providers.

Originality/value

Organizations typically do not monitor customer satisfaction once a service problem is abandoned or handed‐off to another organization. In this experimental study, customer satisfaction is carefully monitored as service exchange crosses organizational boundaries during a service experience simulated over the period of one week.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 June 2022

Gavin David Brown, Ann Largey, Caroline McMullan, Gráinne O'Shea and Niamh Reilly

This study explored the experiences of Irish emergency medical services (EMS) first responders during the first nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

1211

Abstract

Purpose

This study explored the experiences of Irish emergency medical services (EMS) first responders during the first nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) of research into healthcare workers' and first responders' experiences during the COVID-19 and 2003 SARS pandemics was performed. The SLR informed the content of an online questionnaire distributed via the Irish Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council to 2,092 first responders on its live register. Data analysis used both descriptive and content analysis.

Findings

EMS first responders faced many challenges including PPE quality, training on its use, issues with decontamination facilities, and organisational effectiveness. Emotional challenges included the anxiety experienced, the impact on families, and ethical dilemmas confronted related to patient care. Positive findings also emerged, such as first responders' dedication to working through the pandemic, collegiality, and the community goodwill displayed.

Originality/value

While investigations of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers have been undertaken globally, studies focussing exclusively on the experiences of EMS first responders have been rare. This study addressed this knowledge gap, providing an insight into the challenges and successes experienced by first responders and identifying opportunities for learning that can be applied to future public health emergencies.

Details

International Journal of Emergency Services, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2047-0894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2012

G. Stevenson Smith

A first responder to a crisis acts by stabilizing the situation and preventing further losses to victims. The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of whether auditors can…

3482

Abstract

Purpose

A first responder to a crisis acts by stabilizing the situation and preventing further losses to victims. The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of whether auditors can act as first responders to a financial fraud.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews Securities and Exchange (SEC) regulations and auditing practice pronouncements to identify the role of digital evidence in those statements.

Findings

Auditors will act as first responders if such a role is required in SEC regulations or under the auditors' professional practice guidelines. Recent SEC regulations and practice guidelines are reviewed to determine if any such role exists. The effectiveness of a first responder to financial frauds is dependent on the tools they use to evaluate the crisis.

Originality/value

In order for auditors to act effectively, they must carefully take into consideration fraudulent digital documents.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 25 August 2020

Johnrev Guilaran and Hong An Nguyen

Disaster responders play a crucial role in providing aid to individuals and communities following catastrophic events. Being tasked to protect and preserve life and property…

Abstract

Disaster responders play a crucial role in providing aid to individuals and communities following catastrophic events. Being tasked to protect and preserve life and property, these groups of professionals are constantly exposed to various hazards, which puts them at risk of negative mental health consequences. This chapter describes and discusses these mental health effects and interventions for disaster responders in Southeast Asia. The chapter defines who the disaster responders are in Southeast Asian countries. Drawing from the literature, this chapter enumerates the various positive and negative psychological consequences of disaster response, and the risk and protective factors associated with disaster response work. This chapter also describes the different interventions, such as psychological first aid and psychotherapy, following the Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) (2007) guidelines on conducting mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS), and focusing on the Southeast Asian context. This chapter ends with a discussion of the different challenges of providing MHPSS in Southeast Asia and with some recommendations on how to improve the delivery of these services and the mental health of disaster responders in general.

Details

Resistance, Resilience, and Recovery from Disasters: Perspectives from Southeast Asia
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-791-1

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 June 2019

Jori Pascal Kalkman

When a crisis strikes, responders need to make sense of it to gain an understanding of its origins, nature and implications. In this way, crisis sensemaking guides the…

4611

Abstract

Purpose

When a crisis strikes, responders need to make sense of it to gain an understanding of its origins, nature and implications. In this way, crisis sensemaking guides the implementation of the response. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the sensemaking questions that responders need to address for achieving effective and efficient crisis management.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are drawn from six exercises, in which teams of professionals from different crisis organizations were confronted with two terrorist attacks. Just like in real incidents, these professionals convened in tactical response teams and formulated their response collectively.

Findings

The exercises demonstrate that crisis responders do not just have to make sense of the crisis, but also of their own roles and actions. They raise and address three sensemaking questions: What is happening in this crisis? (i.e. situational sensemaking), Who am I in this crisis? (i.e. identity-oriented sensemaking) and How does it matter what I do? (i.e. action-oriented sensemaking).

Practical implications

Crisis preparation tends to focus on plans and systems that accelerate or improve the construction of a situational understanding, while this study suggests the need of more preparatory attention for crisis responders’ roles and actions.

Originality/value

The research extends crisis sensemaking literature beyond the restricted focus on the incident itself by showing that responders are also trying to grasp their own role and how their actions matter when they are engaged in crisis response.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 July 2013

Lita Megan Grace

This paper aims to discuss the current methods of training and education for first response emergency personnel. The goal is to distinguish the difference between training and…

620

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the current methods of training and education for first response emergency personnel. The goal is to distinguish the difference between training and education in an attempt to establish a more operable definition for use within the field.

Design/methodology/approach

The initial approach was to closely examine and compare physical fitness standards and training for first response emergency personnel in the State of California and the US Government.

Findings

Through comparing and contrasting, it was found that while physical fitness standards needed to be additionally governed at the state level, the real issue was a lack of definition in academic literature regarding “training” versus “education.” Furthermore, a lack of focus on the health and physical fitness knowledge in the first response responder population may be putting them at greater risk.

Originality/value

The originality/value of this paper consist in: a critical look at the physical demands of emergency response by first response emergency personnel; and the argumentation for the use of subject matter experts in increasing further knowledge of health and physical fitness in the population of first response emergency personnel and defining the different components to training and education.

Article
Publication date: 7 October 2014

Holly Elisabeth Carter, John Drury, G. James Rubin, Richard Williams and Richard Amlôt

There is an assumption in emergency planning that the public will “panic” or refuse to comply in the event of mass decontamination. This assumption has serious implications for…

227

Abstract

Purpose

There is an assumption in emergency planning that the public will “panic” or refuse to comply in the event of mass decontamination. This assumption has serious implications for how the public will be managed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors carried out semi-structured interviews with 13 emergency responders, six of whom had experience of incidents involving decontamination. The authors asked them, first, about their experiences of these events and, second, about their expectations for decontamination involving a large crowd. The aim was to explore the extent to which responders perceived non-compliance and anxiety as (crowd) problems during decontamination, and if so, how they felt that they could be addressed.

Findings

Responders with experience of decontamination perceived non-compliance and excessive anxiety to be rare, and suggested that orderly behaviour was more common. However, the majority of emergency responders with no experience of decontamination said they expected panic and non-compliance. They therefore emphasised the importance of “controlling”, rather than communicating with, the public.

Research limitations/implications

The authors argue that “control”-based emergency management strategies can impact negatively on the relationship between the public and responders, and hence hinder effective management of an incident. It would therefore be beneficial to provide training for emergency responders on likely public behaviour during incidents involving decontamination.

Originality/value

This research extends previous research by facilitating a detailed understanding of emergency responders’ experiences and perceptions of managing incidents involving decontamination, and showing how these experiences and perceptions can affect the way in which such incidents are managed.

Details

International Journal of Emergency Services, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2047-0894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 February 2023

Kellie ODare, Chris Bator, Lance Butler, Jeffrey Orrange, Lauren Porter, Michelle Rehbein, John Dilks, Dana R. Dillard, Erin King, Joseph Herzog and Robert Rotunda

The purpose of this paper is to articulate the results of a comprehensive literature review and grassroots outreach with first responder organizations to present an…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to articulate the results of a comprehensive literature review and grassroots outreach with first responder organizations to present an operationalized framework for organizations to utilize as a blueprint in developing customized behavioral health access program (BHAP) programs.

Design/methodology/approach

Historically, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ)over fire service organizations have primarily offered behavioral health interventions through Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or commercial insurance carriers. These programs are necessary but may prove insufficient to meet the scope and needs of trauma-exposed firefighters and the firefighters' families.

Findings

A BHAP is a comprehensive and operationalized plan which clearly specifies the mental health services fire department members and families need, where those services are available within their communities and levels and standards of care that are expected in the provision of these services.

Originality/value

The BHAP is becoming a world standard of behavioral health care for first responders. While some fire service agencies are beginning to create BHAP guides, developing and implementing a BHAP can be time consuming and overwhelming, particularly for departments with limited internal and external resources. While the results of this review focus on BHAP within the fire service, this framework is applicable across all first responder professions.

Details

International Journal of Emergency Services, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2047-0894

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 8 November 2010

David Dunning and Detlef Fetchenhauer

Trust involves making oneself vulnerable to another person with the prospect of receiving some benefit in return. Contemporary theoretical accounts of trust among strangers…

Abstract

Trust involves making oneself vulnerable to another person with the prospect of receiving some benefit in return. Contemporary theoretical accounts of trust among strangers emphasize its instrumental nature. People are assumed to trust to the extent that they can tolerate the risk and are sufficiently optimistic that their trust will be reciprocated. We describe evidence from laboratory economic games showing that this account empirically fails. Participants often trust even though their risk tolerance and social expectations suggest they should not. We propose, instead, that trust is largely an expressive act. People trust because of dynamics that surround the act itself rather than its potential outcomes. Evidence for the expressive nature of trust comes in two forms. First, studies of the emotions surrounding trust indicate that it is significantly predicted by how people feel about the act itself, not how they feel about its potential outcomes. Second, trust rates rise significantly if people are placed in a relationship with another person, no matter how anonymous, fleeting, or minimal that relationship is – presumably because being placed in a relationship evokes social norms that promote trust. We end our discussion by explaining a curious fact that participants grossly underestimate the trustworthiness of others. We also discuss possible motives for reciprocating trust and questions for future research.

Details

Advances in Group Processes
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-329-4

1 – 10 of over 3000