Experiences and actions of part-time firefighters family members: a critical incident study

Study findings

The findings highlight the complex interplay of responsibility, support and communication among family members of PTFs, which is discussed in the sections below.

The study findings underscore that being a PTF’s family member involves a significant increase in responsibility at home. The family member often becomes the primary caretaker for children and takes charge of daily tasks. The study reveals the need for proactive planning and organisation by family members to effectively manage the increased responsibilities of on-call periods. This corresponds with other literature that suggests that family members made sacrifices, and they shared strategies they use to mitigate the impact of their firefighter’s work.22 One approach involved anticipating unexpected disruptions to their shared family and social time; a conscious decision to plan flexibly and actively preparing for unforeseen events and intentionally scheduling downtime when their firefighter was on-call.22 The day-to-day pressures of emergency responder occupations significantly impact the health and well-being of spouses/partners and children, with spillover of work stress into family life, affecting mental health, well-being and family functioning.12 Spouses often bear the burden of household responsibilities alone due to irregular work schedules.23 However, this study also highlights the increased responsibility and the inconvenience that may be entailed in actioning this planning. Even if the family member is prepared for the firefighter leaving at any time, it nevertheless involves frustration or disappointment. To address some of this frustration and to alleviate the family member’s need for planning, a smart phone application with a time prognosis is valuable. Several Swedish FRSs use an application called Respons, designed to enhance communication and information management for emergency services.24 Granting family members limited access to this tool could be beneficial, as it would aid in planning and reduce uncertainty through improved forecasting.

Family members emerge as a crucial source of emotional support for PTFs. The study reveals that after challenging call-outs there is a noticeable need for supportive communication. However, there is a recognition of the delicate balance between offering support and respecting the confidentiality of the call-out. These findings correspond with other literature in the work-family interface. Family-provided social support plays a crucial role in preserving the health and well-being of emergency responders.12 While support may come from various sources, it appears that firefighters particularly value support from family and significant others, with support from co-workers and the organisation following closely behind.25

Firefighters face significant psychological and physical challenges, and they must deal with irregular work schedules, time constraints and the need to perform in emergency situations regardless of the staff and resources that are available.11 Furthermore, there were details about how emergency service workers experienced a sense of disengagement and emotional distance from their family members on returning from work.26 Stress and symptoms experienced by the firefighter from a traumatic event can lead to a trauma response by family members; firefighter symptoms like mood swings and irritability are distressing enough to elicit a certain degree of traumatic reaction from their family members.27 28 However, this study adds to the complexity of highlighting the need for information and knowledge for the family member in order to be able to address firefighters’ mental health and difficult emotions that arise from call-outs. The family is impacted by firefighters’ behaviour and moods, expressing the need for communication and alleviating emotions. Even though the literature highlights the importance of family members’ support for the firefighter’s well-being,22 26 there is also a constant tension for the family members. They must balance their personal inconveniences in daily life with the community’s need for safety delivered by the PTFs. This creates a conflict between the safety of others and the individual’s own needs.

Family members experience inconveniences and increased responsibility at home, but it is hard to argue against the important work of PTFs in the community. This contrasts with families of full-time firefighters, who follow a regular schedule of being at work and then returning home during their off-time. PTFs, on the other hand, maintain regular work schedules and additionally have on-call responsibilities from home. Therefore, recognising and valuing the contributions of family members to PTFs are vital. Maintaining a healthy work-family balance is crucial for the long-term retention of firefighters, as it reduces the strain on their personal lives and encourages continued participation.3 Furthermore, FRSs should strive to reduce the inconvenience for family members by offering support, recognition and practical initiatives, such as flexible schedules. By establishing support systems for family members, the FRS can help them to cope with the emotional challenges they face, for example, counselling services or resources for managing stress and anxiety.

This study describes how family members of PTFs see the joy their work brings which, in turn, has spill-over effects on the family. Family members also feel a sense of pride and contribution to the community. This corresponds with other literature that highlights how family members show strong support for and pride in the firefighters’ work.18 Experiencing job satisfaction and a positive work environment also fosters a constructive atmosphere at home, resulting in the enjoyment of quality family time.29 30 There is a mutual connection between family members and the FRS.22 Family members employed terms like ‘our’, ‘we’ and ‘all of us’, when discussing the firefighters’ organisation, and exhibited a thorough understanding of factors such as community priorities, policies, operational procedures and specialised terminology. However, this does contrast with the findings were family members instead described feelings of being a bit set aside, or excluded or not appreciated by the FRS. They also felt that PTFs were strict about confidentiality, often excluding information when communicating with family members after a call-out. This draws parallels to a study on military spouses and families, who may also lack detailed information about the specifics of the employment due to security restrictions. This lack of information can significantly impact communication within the family unit.31 The quality of communication in relationships involving emergency responders is significantly linked to their emotional responses and overall well-being. When both parties perceive a secure attachment, it leads to enhanced constructive communication and greater marital satisfaction.23 To address these challenges, FRSs need to consider organising workshops or support groups that allows families to share their experiences and strategies, fostering new networks and relationships and helping them communicate about their feelings. Furthermore, another possibility is to implement more flexible on-call schedules to better accommodate the daily challenges faced by family members. In addition, the introduction of a carpooling system is a fitting help for families with their everyday activities.

Study methods

The study’s trustworthiness was achieved by addressing the concepts of credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability throughout the research process.32

To strengthen the credibility of the study, interviews were chosen as the method for data collection, as it allowed participants to express their thoughts in detail, facilitated by follow-up questions. Saturation was not addressed in the manner of Grounded theory. Instead, the number of critical incidents was determined by the study’s purpose, that is a purposeful sampling, rather than focusing on the quantity of participants, in accordance with Flanagan’s approach.20 A potential limitation of employing the CIT in this study is that it may have narrowed the scope to specific high-stress events experienced by PFTs, potentially overlooking the broader impact of their work on daily life for both PTFs and their families. To strengthen the study’s dependability, participants from different parts of Sweden were intentionally chosen to represent a diverse range of age groups and years as a PTF’s family member. However, accurately and completely recollecting significant situations poses a challenge. There is a risk that the vividness and clarity of these memories may diminish over time, affecting the dependability of the data. The confirmability was reinforced by the authors performing the analysis together. The description of outcomes was discussed with all the authors to address biases and contemplate perspectives. The number of critical incidents gathered is determined by the scope of the study rather than the quantity of participants involved.20 The findings are deemed potentially transferable to other contexts involving non-career firefighters, such as volunteer firefighters. Although non-career firefighters do not usually serve on-call, their families are still impacted by the uncertainty surrounding call-outs, which creates a parallel to the experiences of PTF families.