The Effects of Alarm on the Situation Awareness in Firefighter

Abstract

Background: One of the effective factors on controlling fire stations' system is situational awareness potentially varying in different scenarios. This study will investigate the relationship between situational awareness, as a set of the cognitive attributes, and ergonomics. It has been proved that situational awareness improves the performance of an organization's staff. Methods: This is semi-experimental research in which 30 firefighters from Isfahan urban fire stations participated. Materials used in this research are brachial pressure, a pulse oximeter (fingertip), and Situation Awareness Assessment Approaches. In each step, five firefighters from one fire station were tested twice. Results: Average score of situational awareness did not change significantly after the fire station alarm compared to before it. After the alarm, physiological variables such as blood pressure and heart rate decreased and increased, respectively. The results showed work experience played a significant role in the score of situational awareness and increase in heartbeat. Conclusion: Given the lack of effect of alarm but the effect of work experience on situational awareness, experienced firefighters’ experiences and training can be used for improving situational awareness in young and inexperienced firefighters.