Purpose: This study explored the factors influencing disaster response competency, that is, demographic and disaster-related characteristics, personal disaster (household and workplace) preparedness, disaster risk perception, and self-efficacy in handling disasters among emergency medical technicians in South Korea.
Methods: The study follows a descriptive, cross-sectional design and uses a self-reported questionnaire. Emergency medical technicians, amounting to 1,020 in all, currently working in firefighting organizations from four South Korean cities (Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Ulsan) participated in the study.
Results: Disaster risk perception, self-efficacy for disaster, participation experience in disaster education/training, and personal disaster (household and workplace) preparedness predicted the disaster response competency of emergency medical technicians in South Korea.
Conclusion: There is a need for an antidisaster program to enhance the disaster risk perception, self-efficacy, personal disaster (household and workplace) preparedness, and the disaster education/training participation rate toward enhancing disaster response competency of emergency medical technicians in South Korea.
Keywords: disasters; emergency medical technicians; risk; self efficacy.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.