• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.398-407
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• 2021

Firefighters (who are responsible for people's safety) have one of the jobs that are expected to have problems due to aging in the workforce. An increase in the average age of firefighters can lead to serious social problems. The aim of this study is to survey firefighters in Jeollanam-do about their awareness of aging in firefighters, and to propose a plan to prepare them for aging through investigation and analysis of work problems that may occur due to an aging workforce. The survey shows that the higher the age group, the higher the awareness of aging firefighters, and the higher the total work experience and internal/external work experience, the higher the awareness of aging. As a plan to solve various problems that may arise from aging in firefighters, regular operation of physical fitness promotion programs, field work, job rotation, and managerial measures (such as a change of position to an administrative department) are prepared, and drone or robot technology is used. These solutions include the introduction of applied high-tech technologies to firefighting activities, establishment of retirement management policies, and preparation of plans to revitalize the connection to private employment. In order to maximize the applicability of the field, government institutional plans and preparations are essential.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.91-103
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• 2022

Purpose: After COVID-19, changes in the educational ecosystem take place and fire service academy education system have shifted from face-to-face into non fact-to-face. So, the educational effect of fire officials is decreased and the satisfaction level is also decreased. In this study, we want to examine the current status of non-face-to-face real-time remote education and supplement the problems to improve the educational methods, the educational environment, etc. Method: This study is an independent variable that affects non-face-to-face real-time remote education, consisting of education system environment, self-efficacy of computers, contents (education contents, structure, design, etc.), and proper interaction. A dependent variable was selected with satisfaction for non-face-to-face real-time remote education. In addition, it was selected and analyzed as an active property of learning motivation and learning attitude as control variables. Result: The better the content and the more active the learning motivation and the attitude toward learning, the higher the satisfaction of non-face-to-face real-time remote education, and the more active the learning motivation and the attitude toward learning, the more positive the computer self-efficacy and the satisfaction of learning Conclusion: In order to increase the satisfaction of non-face-to-face real-time education due to COVID-19, education designers or professors need to provide non-face-to-face education contents that can increase the aggressiveness of their learning motivation and learning attitude, and to increase the satisfaction of education for learners by increasing computer self-efficacy through pre-education of non-face-to-face education systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.242-252
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• 2022

Objectives: Firefighters and police officers are exposed to various occupational hazards. No studies in Korea have investigated the occurrence of cancer by type of cancer for the two occupations. This study aims to investigate the risk of occurrences associated with types of cancers in firefighters and police officers. Methods: Utilizing National Health Insurance(NHI) Claims data from 2006-2015, the study included 8,871,468 general workers, 25,001 firefighters, and 102,274 police officers. Using general workers as a control group, we calculated the standardized incidence ratios(SIR) by types of cancer for firefighters and police officers. After calculating the SIR for all subjects, the SIR was calculated by stratifying according to gender. Results: SIR of colon cancer 1.38(95% CI, 1.11-1.69), cancer of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts 1.27(95% CI, 1.04-1.54), and 1.88(95% CI, 1.28-2.65) bladder cancer were higher firefighters than general workers. SIR of Lip, oral cavity, and pharynx 1.26(95% CI, 1.07-1.47), Stomach 1.14(95% CI, 1.06-1.23), colon 1.33(95% CI, 1.21-1.46), liver and intrahepatic bile ducts 1.21(95% CI, 1.10-1.32), pancreas 1.24(95% CI, 1.02-1.49), other skin 1.60(95% CI, 1.26-2.00), bladder 1.27(95% CI, 1.04-1.54), other urinary tract 1.46(95% CI, 1.27-1.68), other parts of central nervous system 1.68(95% CI, 1.10-2.46) were higher police officers than general workers. Conclusions: Both firefighters and police officers are exposed to various cancer occurrence risks, necessitating the development of occupational medical protection measures to reduce risk exposure factors.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.161-184
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a cardiopulmonary resuscitation training program for firefighters (FD-CPR) to help improve the survival rate after cardiac arrest on the fireground. Methods: The FD-CPR was developed following 3 steps of the FD-CPR instructional design based on the behaviorism theory. The content of the program was validated by a group of 7 experts using the contents validity index (CVI) and through a pilot-test. Results: A scenario consisting of 7 procedures, and a skill performance evaluation tool consisting of 16 questions were developed. The evaluation tool average score for the difficulty test was 41.16% (even) and that for the discrimination test was 0.32 (high). Subsequently, an 80 min training program was developed. As verified by the 7 experts through the CVI, it was as high as 1.0. Conclusion: The FD-CPR developed domestically for the first time in this study was effective in enhancing the CPR performance skills of the firefighters. If FD-CPR is added to the curriculum at the Fire Service Academy educational course for the new firefighters, the CPR performance skills could be maintained. Furthermore, the program can facilitate a better survival rate for colleagues having cardiac arrest on the field.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.521-535
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• 2020

Background and objective: This study investigated plant type and color preference and conducted a psychological assessment for gardening activities of firefighters in a high-risk occupational group. Methods: A survey was conducted on 117 firefighters aged 39.01±9.17 in Sunchang in March 2020 to examine their preferences in plant type and color and conduct a psychological assessment of firefighters on gardening activities. Results: For plant experience and awareness, plant-related event showed the highest score, followed by plant preference tendency and plant growing experience. The level of plant gardening activities was higher among older age and higher job position. As a result of examining the quality of life according to the demographic characteristic with WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument), it was found that the quality of life was higher among the 20s-30s than 50s, firefighter position than fire lieutenant or higher, those with higher average monthly income, and the singles group than married (p < .05). The administration group showed lower scores than the fire suppression group working in the field, showing statistical significance. Most firefighters showed high preference for herbal plants among the 12 types of flowering plants, in the order of Rosmarinus officinalis>Lavandula spp.>Mentha piperita, Calendula officinalis. Pelargonium spp. was preferred the least out of the flowering plants, Lycopersicon esculentum was preferred the most out of 12 types of vegetable plants, while Angelica acutiloba was preferred the least statistical significance. For the preference of plant colors, yellow was the most preferred color, followed by white, blue, orange, red, and green, showing statistical significance. For the psychological survey responses of emotion words toward 6 plants colors, it was found that 'bright' was the emotion felt most strongly by the white, yellow, and orange groups, 'calm' and 'comfortable' by the green and blue groups, and 'fancy' by the red group. Conclusion: The effect of agro-healing programs can be increased by using mostly yellow plants when creating indoor healing gardens at the workplaces of fire officials in a high-risk occupational group, and using herbal plants and Lycopersicon esculentum in the gardens for agro-healing activities.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2023

This study is a descriptive research to identify the factors that influence blood donation intentions of the middle-aged firefighters and prison officer based on Ajzen's (1991) planned behavior theory. The subjects of the study were 223 middle-aged firefighters and prison officer at a fire station and prison located in G City and District B. The Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Turkey, and multiple regression with the SPSS 21.0 program. There were statistically significant differences in blood donation intention according to the blood donation experience, attempted blood donation within a year, participate plan in blood donation within 3 months. The blood donation intention of middle aged showed significant positive correlations with attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control towards blood donation. Multiple regression analysis for blood donation intention revealed that the significant predictors were participate plan in blood donation within 3 months, perceived behavior control, subjective norms, attitude towards blood donation, and attempted blood donation within a year. These factors explained 69% of the variance. In order to enhance the middle aged's intention to blood donation, we need a program that can improve middle aged's attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.722-732
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• 2021

Purpose: Due to the coronavirus infection-19 (COVID) pendemics, all educational institutions were required to provide full non-face-to-face real-time education, and fire officials were required to provide fire-fighting education by applying non-face-to-face education. In this difficult situation, the National Fire Service Academy tries to find the direction of the non-face-to-face real-time education and suggest ways to improve it through a survey of the status of non-face-to-face real-time education conducted by the NFSA to fire officials. Method: A survey was conducted on fire officials under the theme of "Consciousness Survey for Improving the Quality and Specialization of Non-face-to-face Real-Time Remote Education" and an in-depth analysis was conducted based on the results. Result & Conclusion: First, professors or educational operators shall actively utilize remote education programs suitable for educational characteristics by utilizing various programs. Second, a dedicated notebook for non-face-to-face training should be provided to provide an educational environment where all learners can participate in the training without difficulty. Third, in the case of education and training that requires the use of equipment due to the nature of fire officials' education and training, it is necessary to consider it as a non-face-to-face training place by arranging educational equipment at each fire station. Fourth, it is hard to expect a satisfactory educational effect to cope with practical education with theoretical education. Therefore, facilities and programs that enable non-face-to-face real-time hands-on training should be developed. It is worth considering the proper combination of face-to-face education while maintaining the social distance as much as possible until such non-face-to-face training is possible. Fifth, non-face-to-face education is considered to have high eye fatigue due to the light and electromagnetic waves of the computer screen, and as time goes by, the concentration level decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to form an education time to reduce the eye fatigue of learners and increase concentration through proper class and rest time. Finally, professors should operate a learner participation-oriented education that allows professors and learners to interact rather than one-sided knowledge transfer education. In addition, technical problems of non-face-to-face remote education should be thoroughly prepared through preliminary system checks to ensure that education is not disrupted.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.676-687
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• 2020

Purpose To analyze the altered brain regions and intrinsic brain activity patterns in trauma-exposed firefighters without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Materials and Methods Resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) was performed for all subjects. Thirty-one firefighters over 40 years of age without PTSD (31 men; mean age, 49.8 ± 4.7 years) were included. Twenty-six non-traumatized healthy controls (HCs) (26 men; mean age, 65.3 ± 7.84 years) were also included. Voxel-based morphometry was performed to investigate focal differences in the brain anatomy. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was performed to investigate differences in spontaneous brain characteristics. Results The mean z-scores of the Seoul Verbal Learning Test for immediate and delayed recall, Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) score for animals, and COWAT phonemic fluency were significantly lower in the firefighter group than in the HCs, indicating decreased neurocognitive function. Compared to HCs, firefighters showed reduced gray matter volume in the left superior parietal gyrus and left inferior temporal gyrus. Further, in contrast to HCs, firefighters showed alterations in rsfMRI values in multiple regions, including the fusiform gyrus and cerebellum. Conclusion Structural and resting-state functional abnormalities in the brain may be useful imaging biomarkers for identifying alterations in trauma-exposed firefighters without PTSD.