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From FireWiki

Abstract

The problem was that a proposal to create a Society of Executive Fire Officers (SEFO) Journal had not been developed. The purpose of this study was to develop a proposal to create a SEFO Journal. A qualitative action research method was used. The research questions were:

1. Who should sponsor the journal?

2. Who should publish the journal?

3. What is the purpose of the journal?

4. What are the aims and scope of the journal?

5. Who should be on the journal editorial review board?

6. Who should be the editor and managing editor?

The qualitative research procedure included a seven-step process to answer the research questions. Advice from two journal publishers was used in addition to reviewing nine refereed journals. Consultations with representatives of the SEFO and Iowa State University were conducted. The researcher’s judgement was used to answer research questions 1, 2, and 6. Judgement and concepts taken from the journals reviewed answered research questions 3, 4, and 5.

The result was the creation of a mockup SEFO Journal that answered all of the research questions. Iowa State University Fire Service Institute was the proposed publisher of the SEFO Journal. The purpose statement contained key concepts including discipline, epistemology, and doctrine. The aims and scope statements were written to function as marketing tools to attract contributors and subscribers. Sixty people were identified to serve on the editorial review board. All suggested board members have doctorates and represent various types of organizations including universities, government, the fire service, and the private sector. Finally, the editor and managing editor were identified.

Three recommendations were made. First, the SEFO should sponsor the journal. Second, the National Fire Academy should support the journal with staff time. Finally, the fire service should support the journal financially, with manuscript submissions, subscriptions, and participation on the editorial review board.

Introduction

The problem is that a proposal to create a Society of Executive Fire Officers (SEFO) journal has not been developed. The purpose of this study is to develop a proposal to create a SEFO Journal. This study is qualitative action research. The research questions are:

1. Who should sponsor the journal?

2. Who should publish the journal?

3. What is the purpose of the journal?

4. What are the aims and scope of the journal?

5. Who should be on the journal editorial review board?

6. Who should be the editor and managing editor?

Background and Significance

There is no refereed serial publication written for the executive fire officer (Salk, 1997). Several fire service magazines are published but they are not research based and the contents do not under go a peer-review process. In addition, the fire service literature is supported by commercial advertising making the publications profit dependent. This market and sales dependency impacts editorial policy related to space, content, authorship, controversy, and customer satisfaction.

Researchers and theorists interested in the fire service domain do not have a discipline based journal to publish their work in. This lack of a professional literature deliver mechanism restricts the production, dissemination, and accreditation of a fire service epistemology. As a result executive fire officers do not have a scientifically refereed source of information on which to base their practices.

This study is significant to the National Fire Academy (NFA) for three reasons. First, a SEFO journal will give Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) students and graduates a refereed publication to report their research in. Second, the creation of a journal for the fire service will increase the professional status of the discipline. Finally, this study will enhance the positive relationship between the NFA and the SEFO. This study relates to the Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management course, specifically the course goal that states “…to prepare senior staff officers in administrative functions necessary to manage operational components of a fire and rescue department effectively” ( NFA, 1997, p 1.3). Presently there is no refereed journal published on fire service operational research or any other area. By creating such a journal a source of scientifically based information will be available to researchers, faculty, practitioners, and students. All of which will assist the NFA achieve its mission to increase the professionalism of the fire service (Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act, 1974).

Literature Review

Need

During the 20th century the fire service relied on an experiential/consensus knowledge base, in the 21st century the fire service needs to rely on a research/science knowledge base (Clark, 1993). The need for the fire service to be science based was identified as early as 1868 by Massey Shaw, Chief Officer of the London Fire Brigade in England (Layman, 1953). In 1966 the fire service leaders of the day identified mastery of the scientific method as the first educational need of the fire service (Johnson Foundation, 1966). Then again in 1976 the Wingspread Report identified the need for highly educated executives and researchers at the doctoral level for the fire service (Clark, 1976). Finally, the U.S. Department of Labor (1991) identified the need for fire chiefs to be able to read and write scientific and technical journals at the same level as physicians and scientist.

To summarize, the need for the fire service to be based on science and research is well established. The fact that there are no referred journals published of the fire service indicated a need for such a journal.

Scholarly Societies

The first scientific society to publish articles was Accademia dei Lencea in Rome Italy in 1609. The title of the work was Gesta Lynceorum and it contained the proceedings of the society meeting (Ornstein, 1963). In 1665 the Royal Society of London began publishing Philosophical Transactions and continues doing so today(Ornstien, 1963; Kronick, 1976).

Frankel (1993, p. 27) explains the relationship between professional and scholarly societies as follows:

To be a professional is to be dedicated to a distinctive set of ideals and standards of conduct, and the evolution of any profession is, in large part characterized by its efforts to define the expected character and proper conduct of its members. Members of scientific disciplines, like other professional groups, are bound together by similar aspirations, values, and training, and as such are a community who’s members are distinguished as individuals and as a group by widely shared goals, belief about the value of those goals, about the appropriate means of achieving them, and about the kinds of relations which in general should prevail among themselves, and in many cases between themselves and others. The scientific disciplines, then are a prominent normative reference group, who’s values and standards of appropriate research practices serve as guides by which outsiders can understand and evaluated their performance.

In the fire protection discipline there are three societies which publish peer-reviewed journals. The Journal of Fire Protection Engineering is published by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (Barnett, 1997). The International Journal of Wildland Fire is published by the International Association of Wildland Fire (Weber, 1997). The National Fire Protection Association publishes Fire Technology (Watts, 1997).

Related disciplines have scholarly societies that publish refereed journals. The American Society for Public Administration publishes Public Administration Review (Rubin, 1997). Adult Education Quarterly is published by the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (Courtney & Dirkx, 1997). The Journal of Emergency Medicine is published by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (Rosen, 1997). Lastly, Parameters U.S. Army War College Quarterly is an official U.S. Army publication (Madigan, 1997).

The by-laws of the National Society of Executive Fire Officers (1992, p. 1) states the purpose of the organization as follows: “The society is organized to support the National Fire Academy and other federal fire programs, to support increased opportunities for fire executive development and to develop and support the Executive Fire Officer’s Networking System.” This is presently accomplished by an annual conference, newsletter, membership, and a cash award to NFA outstanding research award recipients.

The EFOP and the NFA have a long tradition of research and publication beginning with the first Executive Development III course in 1980. A class paper is written by a group of 5 to 7 students. The papers are archived in the National Emergency Training Center’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) and are retrievable. In 1989 the applied research project component was added to all EFOP courses, these papers are also archived in the LRC and are retrievable.

To summarize, the SEFO can be classified as a scholarly society. A traditional feature of societies is to publish the scholarly work of and for its members. SEFO is the likely organization to sponsor the first peer-reviewed journal for the fire service discipline. Because of its close connection with the EFOP and a journal will fit into the organization’s purpose statement.

Journal Publishers

There are three basic approaches to journal publishing sponsoring organization, commercial, and university. Commercial publishing typically cost subscribers more because the company must make a profit. For this profit, the company performs many functions like printing, advertising, indexing, circulation, and management. If a society or university published the work the same functions must be preformed but the need for profitability is avoided (Fischer, 1990).

There are some unique publishing methods. The U.S. Army War College publishes Parameters (Madigan, 1997). The Journal of Wildland Fire is sponsored by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and the Victoria Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Weber, 1997).

To summarize, the decision as to who publishes a journal is economically based and relies on the resources available and the potential market for the journal.

Journal Purpose

The purpose statement of a journal is like a mission statement for an organization. The statement must clearly communicate, what the journal strives to achieve, to those who will read the articles, potential manuscript providers, and potential editorial review board members. The place to start developing a business plan for a new journal is to “…decide what purpose a new journal should serve…” (Fischer, 1990, p. 53).

The following purpose statements are presented to illustrate how the journals attempt to communicate the purpose they serve:

''Parameters is a refereed journal of ideas and issues, providing a forum for the expression of mature professional thought on the art and science of land warfare, joint and combined matters, national and international security affairs, military strategy, military leadership and management, military history, military ethics, and other topics of significant and current interest to the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. It serves as a vehicle for continuing the education and professional development of USAWC graduates and other senior military officer, as well as members of government and academia concerned with national security affairs (Madigan, 1997, p. 1).

Journal of Fire Protection Engineering: Original papers not previously published of general interest to the fire protection engineering community -research results, review papers, or applications of the state-of the-art technical methods to the solution of fire protection engineering problems. Letters to the editor, guest editorials, book and proceedings reviews, and software reviews will also be considered. Publication of material is for the purpose of circulating information among those concerned with the safety of life and property from fire and does not imply endorsement by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, its members, or its directors (Barnett, 1997, p ii).

The International Journal of Wildland Fire welcomes manuscripts on all aspects of Wildland fire science, ecology, management, behavior, weather, and history. The Journal does no accept papers on structural fire, except as they affect ‘urban interface’ issues. All papers will receive peer review (Weber, 1997, p. iv).

The purpose of the Journal of Management Issues is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge directly related to the theory of organizations and the practice of management. Its primary goal is to disseminate the results of new and original scholarly activity to a broad audience consisting of university faculty and administrators, business executives, consultants, and governmental managers. The journal was established as a means to disseminate the latest information and finding of both the academic and business communities, and act as a bridge between them (Fischer, 1997, p. ii).

Fire Technology is the international peer-reviewed quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association. It is the most widely read refereed journal in the field. The content of Fire Technology is directed to technically oriented fire safety practitioners and fire science researchers.

Papers describing advances in fire technology with a strong emphasis on implementation are welcome. Fire Technology is a cross-disciplinary journal, and the editors encourage manuscripts addressing substantive issues in fire protection from the perspective of such fields as physics, chemistry, engineering, management science, and ergonomics Watts, 1997, p. iv).

To summarize, the length of the purpose statement may vary but the preceding examples try to address the who, what, and why of the journals. These statements communicate what the journals strive to accomplish.

Aims and Scope

The concept of aims and scope are marketing tools for journals (S. Kahan, personnel communications, May 1997). By reading the aims and scope, potential subscribers and contributors are given more information on who the audience is and what type of work will be published.

The following examples of aims and scope statements come from the Baywood Publishing Company advertisement for the journal (S. Kahan, personal communications, May 1997). ''The Journal of Environmental Systems is an interdisciplinary forum for professionals dealing with environmental problems. Environmental systems refers both to the often complex ecological, biological, and physical interactions that characterize environmental problems, and the energy, economic, engineering, institutional, value and policy systems involved. Case studies of particular environmental problems or technologies assessments or overall system environmental (or risk, cost, energy etc.) impacts, and broad theoretical, methodological, or policy discussions are equally welcome.

As a whole, this rigorously peer-reviewed journal seeks to integrate theoretical with practical analysis, by bring out the practical policy import of fundamental scientific and societal factors underlying environmental problems, and by giving particle emphasis to issues, problems, and solutions that have potential for wide application.

The advertisement directed at acquisition librarians for the Journal of Managerial Issues explains the aims and scope of the publication as follows:

'The Journal of Managerial Issues serves as a bridge of communication between those who study management and those who practice it. As such, it regularly publishes articles of quality that capture the attention of both business leaders and academic researchers by providing innovative concepts, ideas, and findings that stimulate new ways of thinking in sound theory and methodology and rigorous empirical investigation (Fischer, 1997, p. 139).

These examples of aims and scope illustrate how they expand on the purpose statement of a journal. By doing so, potential consumers are given a more detailed explanation of what the publication strives to achieve.

Editorial Review Board

“A good board will confer immediate status in the market and will encourage the submission of high quality manuscripts” (Fischer, 1990, p. 53). The process of peer-review began with the Royal Society of London in the latter half of the seventh century publishing Philosophical Transactions. “Publication in a peer-reviewed journal remains the standard means of disseminating scientific results…”(National Academy of Sciences, 1995, p. 10).

A good board is made up of individuals who actually conduct the review process of manuscripts, make the final judgement on the worthiness of a work, and place their imprimatur on the content (Lederberg, 1993). The scientific reliability of the knowledge a journal presents is described as a social convention of science by the National Academy of Science (1995, p. 9) as follows: Science is not an individual experience. It is shared knowledge based on a common understanding of some aspect of the physical or social world. For that reason the social conventions of science play an important role in establishing the reliability of scientific knowledge. If these conventions are disrupted, the quality of science can suffer.

An editorial review board should be made up of qualified and well-regarded individuals. “Such people provide a new journal with an experienced and seasoned board–valuable for manuscript screening and policy making – and gives the journal legitimacy in the market” (Fischer, 1990, p. 54).

There is no specific operational definition of what makes a person a qualified and well-regarded individual to serve on an editorial review board. By looking at the make up of journal review boards some patters do emerge. The Journal of Applied Fire Science list 22 members, 12 are identified with Ph.D.s, 7 are listed with P.E. or FPE, their organization is also listed (DeCicco, 1997). The title Dr. or Prof. is given to 10 of the 11 board members of the Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, in addition to their organizational affiliation. The International Journal of Wildland Fire does not givedegrees or academic rank to any of its 47 board members but complete organizational address are reported. Finally, the Journal of Emergency Medicine shows MD or MD Ph.D. for all but one (Dr. is used) of its 37 board members, the only affiliation reported is the city and State (Rosen, 1997).

To summarize, a journal’s editorial review board is a corner stone to the quality of the publication. Specifically in terms of the manuscripts the journal will attract, the scholarship of what is published, and the journal’s reputation on what it contributes to the disciplines scientific and professional literature.

Editor and Managing Editor

“Most editors of academic journals have little or no professional training or experience in running such an enterprise. …a serious problem in the case of a new or start-up journal…” (Fischer, 1990, p. 52). The editor functions as an entrepreneur, they provide the impetus, and facilitate the creation of the journal (Ficher, 1990).

Once the journal is created, the editors are part of the research community responsible for scientific conduct (Alberts & Shine, 1994; Lederberg). “The scientific research enterprise is built on a foundation of trust: trust that the results reported by others are valid and trust that the sources of novel ideas will be appropriately acknowledged in the scientific literature (Alberts & Shine, 1994, p. 1660).

Journal editors function as an entrepreneur and scholar. They assume a large responsibility and a significant amount of work, “…a journal is like a black hole, eating up everyone’s time who is involved with it or who gets close” (Fischer, 1990, p. 61).

Self-Reflexivity

This applied research project uses a qualitative research methodology. According to Potter (1996) qualitative researchers must illuminate their biases on the situation they study.

I believe research is important for the fire service to become a true profession. As the principal architect of the EFOP ARP that bias was translated into action. The scientific process is not completed until the work is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The information and knowledge is then open for future scrutiny, debate, and finally acceptance or rejection.

NFA EFOP graduates represent the largest number of fire service personnel to be trained in research and who have conducted applied research in the discipline. I have written and lectured on the need for fire service research. It is correct for the SEFO to publish the first scientific and professional fire service peer-reviewed journal.

Procedures

Process

A seven-step process was used to conduct this action research project. First, Nelson Pyle, President of SEFO was contacted in May 1997 during the NFA EFOP Graduate Symposium. I advised Mr. Pyle that I was developing a proposal to SEFO to create a peer-reviewed journal, he gave his verbal permission to proceed with the proposal development (N. Pyle, personal communications, May 1997).

The second step was to contact the Baywood Publishing Company in NY, to inquire as to the procedures to propose a new journal to the company. Baywood was contacted because they publish the Journal of Applied Fire Science. The company sent a copy of their journal application packet (appendix A). The package contained an article by Charles Fischer titled “Launching a new academic journal”.

The third step was to contact Dr. Fischer to discuss his article and request a copy of the journal he created titled Journal of Managerial Issues.

The fourth step was to select a set of journals to review. A convinces sample was used based on the journals' connection to the fire service, availability in the LRC, and the researcher’s use of the journal. The list of journal includes:

• Journal of Applied Fire Science
• Parameters U.S. Army War College Quarterly
• Journal of Managerial Issues
• The International Journal of Wildland Fire
• Fire Technology
• Journal of Fire Protection Engineering
• Adult Education Quarterly
• The Journal of Emergency Medicine
• Public Administration Review

Fifth, a draft mockup SEFO Journal was created by the researcher. The mockup contains a cover page based on sample journals. The cover page is based on fantasy, assuch it is not included in the research questions. The SEFO purpose statement and board members names are included. The first research question addressed is the envisioned editor and managing editor. A journal purpose statement, editorial review board members, and aims and scope statement were written. This work was created by the researcher alone based on knowledge, biases, literature review, and creativity (Appendix B).

The sixth step was to contact the new director of the Iowa State University (ISU) Fire Service Institute (FSI). An inquiry was made as to the interest of ISU becoming the publisher of the SEFO Journal. The new director of the FSI indicated that ISU was interested in the proposal (R. Arwood, personnel communication, October 1997).

Finally, the draft mockup SEFO Journal was presented at the SEFO annual conference held in Utah on October 21, 1997. The outcome of the meeting is reported in Appendix C.

Limitations

The author’s knowledge and biases limit this qualitative action research. Biases are presented in the self-reflexivity section of the paper so readers can draw their own conclusions on the work. Second, this study is only to develop a proposal to SEFO to create a journal, as such only the research questions are addressed. A complete business plan or more detailed proposal is beyond the scope of this study.

Definition of Terms

Peer-reviewed or refereed journal: A process of evaluating a manuscript for scientific and professional accuracy before it is published. This process is usually double blind, the author and evaluator are not revealed to each other.

Discipline: A branch of knowledge or training.

Epistemology: The division of philosophy that investigates the nature and origin of knowledge.

Doctrine: Something taught. A principle or body of principles presented by a specific field, system, or organization for acceptance or belief.

Results

Who should sponsor the journal? The National Society of Executive Fire Officers should sponsor the first peer-reviewed journal for the fire service discipline.

Who should publish the journal? Based on the discussion with the University of Iowa Fire Service Institute representative, that organization should be considered as the potential publisher of the SEFO Journal.

What it the purpose of the journal? Purpose Statement: The Society of Executive Fire Officers Journal is a referred scientific and professional publication. The purpose of the journal is to advance the theories, sciences, and practices of the fire service discipline. The epistemology of the fire service is found in chemistry, physics, engineering, medicine, ecology, economics, psychology, education, sociology, law, administration, government, and politics.

Researchers, academics, and practitioners, from various disciplines, can use the journal to gather and disseminate the least information and findings relevant to fire service doctrine.

What are the aims and scope of the journal? Aims and Scope: The SEFO Journal serves as a vehicle for continuing the educational and professional development of National Fire Academy Executive Fire

Officer Program graduates and other senior fire service officers, as well as members of government, academia, and industry concerned with fire service issues. The fire service is an inter-disciplinary art and science that impacts on the quality of life in every community. The intent of the SEFO Journal is to foster research from a variety of sources and disciplines. The SEFO Journal seeks to publish the highest quality empirical, theoretical, and methodological papers available on fire service research.

The SEFO Journal is open to a wide range of emerging methods, conceptual approaches, and substantive problem areas within the fire service domain. Theorists, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners are encouraged to submit their scholarly work for consideration and review. Readers, from the public and private sectors, will gain knowledge about fire service theories and practices used by executive fire officers.

Who should be on the editorial review board? A total of 60 people were identified as potential editorial review board members. All nominees have a doctorate, the types of degrees including JD, MD, Ph.D., Ed.D., Sc.D., and DPA. They represent 27 States, Canada, and the United Nations; 33 are adjunct faculty at the National Fire Academy. The organizations they represent include 34 universities, 4 State fire training academies, 1 State fire marshals office, 5 fire departments, 8 consultants/private practitioners, 5 government agencies, 1 publishing company, 1 hospital, and the United Nations (Appendix B).

Who should be the editor and managing editor? The proposed editor is myself, the logic being that if I believe it is such a good idea I should be willing to do the work to help make the SEFO Journal a reality. The proposed managing editor is Richard Arwood, Director Fire Service Institute at Iowa State University. The rationale for this recommendation is that Mr. Arwood is interested in the position and Iowa Sate University will consider publishing the journal.

Discussion

The need for the fire service to be science and research based has been evident since 1868 when Massey Shaw first compared fire officers to surgeons in terms of the level of training and study needed to perform in their respective disciplines (Layman, 1953). The United States Government agrees that fire chiefs need the same cognitive ability level as physicians for research writing and reading in their respective disciplines (USDL, 1991). The Wingspread Reports of 1966 and 1976 concurred that science and research are important to the fire service becoming a profession that is accepted by the academic community, other disciplines, and society in general (Johnson Foundation, 1966; Clark, 1976).

Refereed journals are a corner stone of professional disciplines and scholarly societies have a tradition of publishing peer-review journals for their members (Ornstein 1963; Kronick, 1976). The SEFO fits Frankel’s (1993, p. 27) concept of a professional groups because SEFO members are “…bound together by similar aspirations, values, and training….” The result that the SEFO should publish the first peer-reviewed journal for the fire service is correct for the organization, its members, and the fire service. Because there is no such journal and such a journal will fit the SEFO purpose statement (Salk, 1997; SEFO, 1996).

The fact that Iowa State University (ISU) is interested in publishing the SEFO Journal is significant for several reasons. First, ISU is a large system that has journal publishing experience (R. Arwood, personnel communication, October 1997). Second, a nonprofit publisher will cost the subscribers less and university based publishers are understood to have long-term commitment (C. C. Fischer, personnel communications, November 1997). Finally, ISU and the Fire Service Institute will help give the SEFO Journal instant credibility.

The journal purpose statement contains several key concepts. First, the journal is refereed this immediately communicates the process used to accept manuscripts. Eight of the nine journals reviewed use the word refereed or peer-reviewed. This concept has been part of scientific publishing since the Royal Society of London began the practice in the latter half of the seventh century (National Academy of Sciences, 1995).

Second, the concepts of scientific and professional are include. These ideas fit into the Wingspread Report of 1966; which identified the fact that learning the scientific method was a way of acceptance into the academic community, which will lead to professional status (Johnson Foundation, 1966). The ability to read and write scientifically is also part of the U.S. Department of Labor (1991) standards for fire chiefs.

Third, the phrase fire service discipline is used. The fire service does constitute a branch of knowledge and teaching. “When an area or subject matter content is identified and used almost exclusively by practitioners of that subject area, it becomes a discrete discipline” (Clark, 1993, p. 52).

Fourth, the basic knowledge or epistemology of the fire service comes from other disciplines both hard and soft sciences. The fire service is inter-disciplinary by the nature of what it does. Fire Technology is described as “…a cross-disciplinary journal…” looking for manuscripts from such fields as “…physics, chemistry, engineering, management science, and ergonomics”(Watts, 1997, p. iv). 19

Finally, the concept of fire service doctrine is introduced. The information presented in the SEFO journal will contribute to fire service theories, principles, and teachings. Making such contributions is the ultimate purpose of all journals (National Academy of Sciences, 1995; Lederberg, 1993).

The aims and scope statement are designed after several other journals. Parameters is written for War College graduates and other senior officers, and academic and government readers are included (Madigan, 1997). The idea that the fire service is both an art and science also comes from Parameters, since the fire service is referred to as a paramilitary organization. The concepts of empirical, theoretical, and methodological were taken from the Journal of Managerial Issues (Fischer, 1997). The idea of “…emerging methods, conceptual approaches and substantive problems…” comes from the Journal of Managerial Issues’ editorial policy statement (Fischer, 1997, p. 140).

The members of the editorial review board recommended for the SEFO Journal will bring credibility to the journal. Fischer (1990, p. 53) states “A good board will confer immediate status….” Board members are on the faculties of prestigious universities including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, Yale, Georgetown, and George Washington. The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the United Nations represent significant government functions. Finally, a former U.S. Congressman and a retired U.S. Army Colonial are suggested. These non-fire service institutions were included to attract other disciplines to conduct research and write in the fire service domain.

Identifying myself as editor is more a statement about my commitment to seeing the SEFO Journal become a reality then on my qualifications to do the job. “The editor is really an entrepreneur, the one who makes it all happen. The editor alone does not launch the journal; he or she may provide the impetus but ultimately only facilitates things” (Fischer, 1990, p. 61). Identifying Richard Arwood as the potential managing editor has more substance. He has support from ISU to consider taking on this task because the Fire Service Institute wants a more visible national presence in the fire service community. Being an intricate part of the SEFO Journal will help facilitate that goal (R. Arwood, personnel communications, October 1997).

There are organizational implications for both the NFA and the SEFO. These results support the NFA purpose which is “…to advance the professional development of fire service personnel” (Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act, 1974), in two ways. First, the fact that this proposal is coming from the NFA shows leadership in the area of fire service research. Second, the concept of the first refereed journal for the fire service being a joint partnership between the federal government and the non-profit sector (SEFO and ISU) is a model of efficiency. The SEFO is impacted by the status the organization will achieve if the journal is created. That status extends well beyond the fire service to include academic, government, and scientific communities. Finally, the entire fire service will benefit if the SEFO Journal is created because the fire service discipline will move one step closer to becoming a true profession.

Recommendations

The results of this study illustrate a clear need for a peer-reviewed journal for the fire service. Researchers, academics, and practitioners need a scientifically based periodical to report their scholarly work in. Three recommendations immerge from this study.

First, the SEFO should officially consider creating a scientific/professional journal. The implamentation process will most likely include assigning a committee to develop a comprehensive business plan to create the SEFO Journal. Second, the plan should be presented the SEFO board of directors for approval. Finally, the membership should vote on the journal becoming a function of the society.

Second, the NFA should consider supporting the creation of the SEFO journal by assigning staff time to the planing process. Additional support may also be given by allowing staff to serve as editor or on the editorial review board. The NFA will need legal council to review the implementation of this recommendation.

Finally, other fire service organizations should consider supporting the creation of the journal. Participation on the editorial review board, submission of manuscripts, financial support, and subscriptions will help the new journal become successful. If a SEFO Journal is created, society will benefit because all those connected with the fire service discipline will have an important new tool to increase their professionalism.

References

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Barnett, J. (Ed). (1997). Journal of fire protection engineering, 8, (3). Boston, MA: Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

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Clark, W. E. (1976). Wingspread II statement of national significance to the fire problem in the United States. Washington, DC: International Association of Fire Chiefs Foundation Inc.

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Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, Pub. L. No. 93-498, Sec. 7, 15 U.S.C. 2206.

Fischer, C. C. (Ed). (1997). Journal of managerial issues, 9, (2). Pittsburg, KS: Pittsburg State University.

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Appendices