Finnish Firefighters’ Barriers to Volunteering

Abstract

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.