Author: Michael D. Kopp

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 51

ISBN-13:

The problem was that the Elmhurst Fire Department had not considered the attitudes of its members when developing community risk reduction activities. The purpose of this research study was to develop a foundation for the Elmhurst Fire Department's community risk reduction activities. By determining the attitudes of Elmhurst Fire Department members towards community risk reduction activities, and the benefits of positive attitudes in community risk reduction, the Elmhurst Fire Department will be able to develop and implement successful community risk reduction activities. This was a descriptive and evaluative research project. The research questions were: 1. What are the benefits of positive attitudes in community risk reduction activities? 2. What are the attitudes of Elmhurst Fire Department members towards current community risk reduction activities? 3. What can the Elmhurst Fire Department do to get more firefighters involved in community risk reduction activities? The procedures included two personal interviews with experts in the field of attitudes in the workplace for their views on how positive attitudes effect outcome: Dr. Thomas Sawyer of Elmhurst College for the academic view on attitudes in the workplace, and Greg Puchalski the Vice President of Human Resources for the United States Gypsum Corporation for his views on the application of positive attitudes in the workplace. The procedure also included developing a feedback form for measuring the attitudes of the members of the EFD, the distribution of the feedback form to all department members, and the calculation and analysis of the feedback form results. The results were: Both personal interviews emphasized the importance and benefits of identifying and clarifying the attitudes of the organization. Knowing the attitudes of the organization when developing a community risk reduction activity will improve its chances of being implemented successfully and should improve organizational performance. The study developed a feedback form used for auditing the attitudes of the EFD. The feedback form identified that most members of the EFD agree the current community risk reduction activities are important and result in positive outcomes, that the school fire safety programs and the fire inspection programs should be mandatory for the Elmhurst Fire Department, and that money/benefits, helping the community, a sense of duty, and the prevention of loss of life or injury most greatly impact the decisions of EFD members to participate in community risk reduction activities. The recommendations, based on this study, were the EFD should share the results of the feedback form with all department members. The EFD should develop a committee made up of all facets of the department to analyze current community risk reduction activities. The committee based on the input from all department members should make recommendations on improving existing programs and the development of new community risk reduction activities. Also, when soliciting participation in new or existing activities the EFD should emphasize the incentives identified by the EFD members. [STAR#: 132627].