Video Title: East Haven Fire Department: Emotions and Moods
Run Time: 7:48
Classroom Application: Instructors will find this video useful in the study of organizational behavior. The East Haven Fire Department serves as a good case study for this topic because the nature of the job that employees of this fire department must perform is highly stressful, and the camaraderie of the workforce is imperative for helping co-workers to deal with the stress of their job in a healthy way. Providing students with such knowledge can help them to appreciate and better understand the role of emotions and moods in the workplace and how this affects the overall atmosphere within an organization.
Synopsis
Stress and difficult situations are all a part of the job for employees of the East Haven Fire Department. Learning how to remain calm, stay focused, and complete the requirements of your job are an important aspect of this line of work. Due to the high stress levels in doing this type of work, the organizational behavior within the workplace is highly important. At East Haven Fire Department, employees are able to joke and have fun, helping each other to deal with the day-to-day stresses of the job. The camaraderie between co-workers is what allows these employees to deal with difficult situations and remain emotionally healthy.
Discussion Questions
1. Describe Liz Christian’s role at the East Haven Fire Department. How does she deal with the stress of her position?
Liz Christian is an EMT and 911 Dispatcher for the East Haven Fire Department. It is Liz’s job to answer 911 calls, determine what the caller needs, and get those resources out to the caller. It can be very stressful to receive phone calls from people who are very upset and in a difficult situation. Liz prepared a script for what she will say to callers and how she will call for East Haven emergency teams to respond. Relying on this script helps Liz to remain calm and focus on what she needs to do to help the caller. She keeps her orders simple and tries to leave emotion out of the situation, although she sometimes breaks down once the event has ended.
2. Describe Chris Rosa’s role at the East Haven Fire Department. How does he deal with the stress of his position?
Chris Rosa is a firefighter and paramedic for the East Haven Fire Department. He is often called into extremely difficult and stressful situations. Chris says that he tries to step out of the situation and in some ways imagine it is not real, which enables him to do the job he was called in to do. He relies on his training and the adrenaline rush that comes in a high-stress situation to get the job done. It is not until afterwards that the reality of the situation hits home.
3. Why is the organizational behavior at East Haven Fire Department so important to the welfare of the organization?
Because the job employees at the East Haven Fire Department are completing can be so difficult and stressful, workers rely heavily on their camaraderie with fellow co-workers to help them deal with the strain of their jobs. The employees at East Haven Fire Department joke with each other and have fun. This organizational culture helps employees to de-stress after a difficult day. Having others around who have had similar experiences can help individuals to deal with the aftermath of being part of a difficult situation. Being able to laugh and have fun with each other is imperative to the emotional health of members of the East Haven Fire Department.
Quiz
1. Which of the following activities does Liz Christian not mention as a way she deals with the stressful nature of her position?
a. Liz relies on a script for how to respond to a 911 call.
b. Liz tries to keep her responses simple and straightforward.
c. Liz attempts to laugh at her own mistakes and allows herself to enjoy the humor of her co-workers.
d. Liz attends counseling sessions regularly outside of her work environment that allow her to deal with the difficult situations she has faced in a healthy manner.
Answer: d
Explanation: In the video, Liz discusses the script she follows during a call, which helps her to remain focused and give straightforward directions to responders. She also talks about the importance of being able to laugh at her own mistakes and to have fun with co-workers. Liz mentions talking to the Chief or other officers but does not mention any outside therapy sessions.
2. If Liz Christian was to become emotional during a 911 call, which of the following effects does Liz feel this emotion would have on the situation?
a. Liz could lose her sense of time related to the situation.
b. Liz could lose her sense of purpose related to the situation.
c. Liz’s directions to emergency responders could become less clear.
d. all of the above
Answer: d
Explanation: Liz states in the video that she tries to remain simple and straightforward during a call, not allowing emotions to cloud her thinking. Liz says this is important because if she becomes emotional, she could lose sense of time and purpose. This could hinder her ability to get information to emergency responders quickly and clearly. For this reason, Liz tries to not allow herself to become emotional about a situation until after her work on the job is complete.
3. Which of the following words best describes the culture of the East Haven Fire Department?
a. supportive
b. grim
c. dreary
d. monotonous
Answer: a
Explanation: Co-workers at the East Haven Fire Department know the importance of camaraderie and helping each other through difficult situations. Employees are able to laugh at themselves and with each other to shake off the stress of their demanding jobs.
4. Which of the following statements reflects how Liz Christian feels about working with a disproportionate number of men and women?
a. Liz would prefer to work with more women because they would be able to talk her through difficult situations.
b. Liz would prefer to work with an equal number of men and women because both groups could contribute something to the culture of the organization.
c. Liz prefers to work with mostly men because they remind her to laugh at her own mistakes and not take things too seriously.
d. none of the above
Answer: c
Explanation: Liz states that she has worked in organizations where women outnumbered men, and she feels that women talk about situations too much. Liz likes the fact that the men she works with are able to laugh and have a good time even though the jobs they do are demanding and stressful. She says this helps her to remember to not take herself too seriously and to make time for fun.
5. To be hired as an employee of the East Haven Fire Department, you should have which of the following characteristics?
a. a sense of humor
b. solemnity
c. earnestness
d. all of the above
Answer: a
Explanation: To work for the East Haven Fire Department you must have a good sense of humor. Being too serious in this line of work will likely cause you to be overstressed and would eventually harm your emotional health.