Active U.S. fire service members participated in an academic research study that explored workplace behaviors. The results established that workplace bullying exists within the fire service. The study stratified respondents’ experience with workplace bullying in the fire service into three categories: not exposed, at risk and exposed.
Overall, the study revealed that the fire service is at risk from workplace bullying. Alarmingly, respondents who fell into the exposed category experienced the abusive behaviors that are associated with bullying at a rate that is almost twice that of other workplaces in the United States (24.6 percent versus 13.3 percent). Additionally, respondents witnessed it happening to their fire service coworkers at a rate that was more than three times that of other U.S. workplaces (40.1 percent versus 12.8 percent).
