OVERCOMING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS WITHIN THE FIRE SERVICE TO REDUCE FIREFIGHTER CANCER RATES

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Authors
Haseney, John J.
Subjects
occupational cancer
occupation-related cancer
best practices
implementation barriers
organizational barriers
individual barriers
fire department culture
awareness
complacency
funding
compliance
groupthink
motivation
education
leadership
workgroup
Advisors
Woodbury, Glen L.
Halladay, Carolyn C.
Date of Issue
2020-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Occupational cancer has become the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths within the United States fire service. This epidemic claims the lives of hundreds of firefighters each year, even though the fire service has developed best practices to prevent occupational cancers. This thesis identifies seven barriers that are preventing fire departments from implementing best practices: fire department culture, firefighters’ ignorance of the disease and prevention methods, complacency caused by cancer’s long latency periods, funding, pathways to compliance with national and departmental policies, groupthink, and motivation. To explain how fire departments can overcome these barriers, this thesis examines the health and safety efforts that two departments have taken and reviews literature from other fire departments, national fire service organizations, subject-matter experts, researchers, and academic studies. This research shows that when fire departments provide their members with the proper tools, training, education, and awareness, they can rise to the occasion and implement best practices to prevent occupation-related cancer.
Type
Thesis
Description
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Department
National Security Affairs (CHDS)
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Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited
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Copyright is reserved by the copyright owner.
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