Uniform Crew T-Shirts within the Bureau of Land Management

Technical BulletinLast updated Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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Uniforms help create an identity, pride in appearance and an esprit de corps essential to an effective organization. Wearing a uniform affects individual behavior including self-discipline, integrity and organizational ownership. This applied research project's problem statement is Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy neither provides for nor funds the purchase of fire crew uniform t-shirts. The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not agency-provided uniform fire crew t-shirts are necessary and, if so, what type would be most appropriate to recommend for a policy change within the BLM. The evaluative method of research was used for the following research questions: 1) What is the importance of uniforms within the fire service? 2) What are firefighters' preferred materials for fire crew uniform t-shirts within the interagency fire service community? 3) What is BLM manual policy for general staff and law enforcement uniforms? and 4) What are the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and BLM standards for fire crew uniform t-shirts? Literature review revealed clothing's evolution and its importance within historic empires, militaries, modern corporations and the fire service. Clothing served royalties' need to indicate authority evolving into uniforms becoming a distinctive pattern and style which provoked a set of expectations for behavior and skills for both the wearer and the audience. A survey of fire service officers, plus interviews of wildland fire and law enforcement leaders and uniform experts collected knowledge, policies and appropriate materials evaluate uniform crew t-shirts. Results indicated a majority of firefighters believe uniform t-shirts are a critical factor with the public's and their own perception and confidence in their abilities, trustworthiness and professionalism while performing work. BLM should seek approval of firefighter uniform crew t-shirt either within BLM's Uniform Manual 1103 and/or as safety clothing under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

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