Evaluation of firefighter leadership trainings

The training of highly skilled officers in rescue forces is essential for success and performance of fire brigades in their daily work. The purpose of this paper is to develop a validated instrument assessing the quality of leadership trainings in firefighter education.

In Study 1, relevant factors of teaching quality in this specific context are established using semi-structured interviews (n=5 trainer, n=59 trainees), and a pool of corresponding survey items is tested in a pilot sample (n=7 trainer, n=26 trainees). In Study 2 (n=263 trainees), we select best-fitting items and explore the structure of latent variables via exploratory factor analyses. Study 3 (n=45 trainer, n=380 trainees) tests this structure by means of confirmatory analyses and validates the questionnaire using scales from other evaluation instruments for higher education.

Analyses resulted in a six-dimensional questionnaire reflecting relevant training processes and outcomes. Results suggest that the newly created Feedback Instrument for Rescue forces Education (FIRE) meets all relevant psychometric quality criteria.

By examining critical factors of training quality, the authors enhance the understanding of critical processes in programs for rescue forces education. The developed questionnaire provides trainers and educational institutions with a validated tool to measure these relevant processes and the desired training outcomes. Therefore, the FIRE scales can contribute to an ongoing improvement of rescue forces trainings.