Earticle

This study aimed to empirically varify the effectiveness of a pre-traumatic cognitive learning program for new firefighters from a preventive perspective. A quasi-experimental study using a single-group pre-post design was conducted with 380 newly recruited firefighters who had completed the fire academy's initial training program. A measurement tool comprising 28 severe trauma scenarios and 7 educational effectiveness evaluation items was developed through structured interviews with 37 experienced firefighters. After implementing the two-session severe trauma cognitive restructuring program, the educational effects were comprehensively evaluated using exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, paired-sample t-tests, and analysis of variance. The results confirmed that firefighters' severe trauma experiences comprise four factors: ‘Trauma from Mass Casualty and Complex Disaster Sites’, ‘Trauma Related to Firefighter Duties and Colleagues’, ‘General Trauma from Fire and Accident Sites’, and ‘Trauma Related to Handling Distressed and Damaged Bodies’. Statistically significant improvement effects were verified across all trauma factors before and after the training, and overall perceptions of training effectiveness improved. This study holds theoretical and practical significance as it empirically verified the effectiveness of preventive training for enhancing the severe trauma response capabilities of newly appointed firefighters.