The US firefighter's perception and lived experience with station work uniform: occupational safety concerns in public appearance

• Published in: International journal of fashion design, technology and education Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 113 - 122
• Main Authors: Park, Juyeon, Fletcher, Alan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 02.01.2018; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Class B uniform; Firefighters; Fires; Occupational safety; Public domain; public misidentification; Qualitative analysis; Uniforms; US firefighters; United States > US
• ISSN: 1754-3266; 1754-3274
• DOI: 10.1080/17543266.2017.1332244

This study investigated US firefighters' perceptions and lived experiences with their station uniform worn when they were involved in non-fire activities in the public domain. We developed an online survey questionnaire that included close- and open-ended questions, which allowed to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data, and it was administered to 342 US firefighters. The findings of this study demonstrated the phenomenon associated with US firefighters' appearance and public confusion in non-fire occupational contexts. The narratives collected from the open-ended questions offered in-depth insights into the confused public identity and challenged occupational safety experienced by US firefighters in their work uniform. This study suggested the findings must be carefully examined to improve the public identity of US firefighters by creating a distinctive look of their work uniform, as well as to establish national regulations, to address the increased risks of potential threats in the contemporary workplace for firefighters.