Applying Occupational Psychology to the Fire Service

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xviii

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Occupational Psychology and the Fire Service: An Introduction

      • Thomas Rhys Evans, Gail Steptoe-Warren

      Pages 3-10

3. Emotion

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 11-11

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   2. Emotions in the Fire Service: Decision-Making, Risk, and Coping

      • Thomas Rhys Evans

      Pages 13-57

   3. When the Going Gets Tough: Adult Resilience Within an Occupational Setting

      • Alana Juman Blincoe, Christine Grant

      Pages 59-95

   4. Taking an Intervention Approach to Assess Job Redesign in the UK Fire and Rescue Service: The Impact of Alternative Crewing Methods

      • Karen Maher

      Pages 97-132

4. Risk and Safety

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 133-133

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   2. Can More Be Done to Reduce Firefighter Injury?

      • Bill Gough

      Pages 135-168

   3. The Utility of Perceived Community Efficacy in Emergency Preparedness

      • Frank Watt, Pat Tissington

      Pages 169-204

   4. Acknowledging Diversity in Responses to Fires

      • Gail Steptoe-Warren, Thomas Rhys Evans

      Pages 205-227

5. Decision-Making

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 229-229

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   2. Decision-Making: Inside the Mind of the Incident Commander

      • Pat Tissington, Frank Watt

      Pages 231-259

   3. Assessing Operational Preparedness in Incident Commanders

      • Sophie Ward, Gail Steptoe-Warren, Thomas Rhys Evans

      Pages 261-296

6. Discussion

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 297-297

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   2. The Impact and Future of Occupational Psychology in the Fire Service: A Discussion

      • Thomas Rhys Evans, Gail Steptoe-Warren

      Pages 299-315

7. Back Matter

   Pages 317-321

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Applying Occupational Psychology in the Fire Service: Emotion, Risk and Decision-Making provides readers with an overview of the latest research informing the policies, procedures and practices of those working on the ground in the UK Fire Service. Using best-practice principles and cutting-edge theory, the current text demonstrates how occupational psychology can be applied to fire services around the globe to improve individual, management, and organisational decisions. The authors aim to provide students, trainees, practitioners and fire personnel with a unique insight into a range of topics, including resilience, injury, work related wellbeing, community engagement as well as decision making and operational preparedness. This book represents a call to arms for more robust practices to support the Fire Service, highlighting the psychological factors involved in the firefighter occupation and paving the way towards a better understanding of emotion, risk, safety, and decision-making within the fire context. 

• Fire Service Policy
• Fire Service Procedure
• Resilience
• Injury at Work
• Operational preparedness
• Fire Service Management
• Classical Decision Theory (CDT)
• Emotion Regulation
• Evacuation Decision Model (EDM)
• Risk Assesment
• Occupational Psychology
• Fire Service
• Work-related Wellbeing
• Community Engagement
• Severe Weather Events

• Coventry University , Coventry, UK

  Thomas Rhys Evans

• Coventry University, Coventry, UK

  Gail Steptoe-Warren

Thomas Rhys Evans is an Associate Professor in Occupational Psychology at Coventry University, UK. Tom’s work focusses upon the social and affective components of work, with a particular passion for Open Science. Tom has published in Emotion, Emotion Review, Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, and Frontiers in Psychology, amongst others.


Gail Steptoe-Warren is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Associate Head of School at Coventry University UK. Gail’s work focusses upon decision-making, leadership and Situational Judgement Tests. Gail has published in the Journal of Strategy and Management and Assessment and Development Matters, amongst others.

Policies and ethics