Perceptions of Turkish Forest Firefighters on In-Service Trainings

Abstract

Forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean Basin experience frequent forest fires, and the risk of hazards to people and assets is expected to increase in the face of climate change. Turkey is one of the countries in the Mediterranean Basin that has faced extreme forest fires in recent years. Forest firefighters are key actors at the forefront of fighting forest fires, and their effectiveness is largely related to in-service training. This study investigates the differences in in-service training and knowledge competencies of forest firefighters working in five fire-sensitive regions in Turkey. The results of the study are based on a survey of 975 forest firefighters. Sociodemographic data are presented as frequency, mean, and percentages. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was used to determine the differences in the perceptions of forest firefighters in the five fire-sensitive regions. It was determined that 89.74% of forest firefighters participated in in-service training, and the participation in in-service training was highest in 1st degree fire sensitive regions. Turkish forest firefighters have a strong perception that in-service training is sufficient in terms of number and content, their knowledge and experience deficiencies are eliminated, and their capacities are increased.