Although the need for emergency service volunteers is increasing internationally, it is challenging to attract and retain firefighters, who are highly trained and from whom sustained and potentially heavy time investment is required. To recruit and retain fire service volunteers, it is important to understand the barriers these volunteers face, and how these barriers relate to their attitudes and behavioral intentions. We surveyed 762 volunteer firefighters throughout Finland on these issues. Lack of time, conflict with work/school, and other work-related challenges were the most frequently reported barriers, and they were also rated as some of the most severe barriers. The number and severity of barriers were positively related to the volunteers’ absence and turnover intentions, and conflicts with family commitments. A higher number of reported barriers was also negatively related to volunteer satisfaction. No differences in barriers were found between rural and urban areas, or between gender and age groups. We discuss the findings in regard to relevant literature from other countries and conclude with practical implications.

Purpose This paper presents a large sample study of fire service volunteer motivations in Finland. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the differences between initial motivations to begin volunteering vs motivations to continue volunteering; and second, to examine the differences in motivations as a function of demographic variables and geographic region of the fire brigade (rural vs urban). Design/methodology/approach An online survey was completed by 747 fire service volunteers throughout Finland. Findings The initial motivations for joining the brigade differed from those that motivated volunteers to continue in their roles. Significant differences between male and female volunteers’ initial motivations, as well as differences in motivations to continue volunteering as a function of age and region, were found. Research limitations/implications The findings support integrating a psychological, functional perspective with contextual and situational factors when considering volunteer motivations. Originality/value This study suggests a comprehensive understanding of fire service volunteer motivations and informs improved recruitment and retention practices.

The importance of volunteers within the fire service in most countries is unquestionable. However, the retention of volunteers is problematic and finding ways to retain experienced and qualified volunteers is becoming increasingly important. While previous international research has focused on volunteer retention and understanding why volunteers leave, very little is known about ‘boomerang’ volunteers: volunteers who return to the service after a break. These ‘boomerangs’ are a valuable staffing resource, as they tend to require less socialisation, onboarding and training. The latter is particularly relevant for the fire service, as the resources required to train and develop the necessary skills are significant. This study investigated volunteers in the Finnish Fire Service who have taken a break from the service and returned. Similar to Australia and New Zealand, Finland's emergency services are highly reliant on volunteers, particularly in rural areas. This research examined the reasons why breaks were taken and what volunteers experienced most helpful on their return. Drawing on these findings, practical recommendations are made for fire service organisations for effective volunteer practices that take boomerang behaviour into account.

BackgroundThe concept of safety has traditionally been limited to physical security. However, in the 2000s the concept has been expanded to cover also the aspects of social, economic and environmental wellbeing (Kekki 2015). The promotion of safety and security in a global world requires more comprehensive and multi-sectoral cooperation, but also broader and more cross-sectoral information on issues preventing or promoting safety.MethodsThe presentation reviews the previous research data available on the topic. Also, the presentation summarises the current state of the citizen safety from the perspective of the previous research and discusses the possible gaps concerning the produced data. The review is based on the data consisting of the previous administration-specific security and safety surveys and studies as well as national surveys.ResultsA number of surveys are available on the topic, but most of them define the research topic quite narrowly from the perspective of certain administrative bodies. Only a small amount of data is found on citizen’s abilities or opportunities to promote their own safety. Hence, there is also a lack of standardised evaluation criteria for (measuring) citizen safety. In addition, the comparability of data is difficult due to differing definitions of the concepts which are used and the limitations concerning different research settings.ConclusionsThe future decision-making needs to be supported by diverse, cross-administrative information about citizen safety and the issues related to security and safety in general. Indicators formed to monitor the development of citizen safety are presented as the conclusions of the presentation.