Vladyslav Platonov
Ph.D. in Psychology. Research Fellow at the Educational and Research Laboratory of Extreme and Crisis Psychology at the Research Center. National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine.
ORCID 0000-0001-7013-8660
DOI - https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2024.2.3
Keywords: deminer, sapper, humanitarian demining, history of service formation, image of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, dynamics of the deminer’s image in society, perception of the deminer’s imag.
The article addresses the issue of the establishment of the pyrotechnician profession within the State Emergency Service (SES) in terms of both legal regulation and public image. In this case, we believe that the clarity of legislation and the establishment of a legal framework and statutes shape not only the external image of the service itself but also its employees.
The analysis of documents shows the transformation path of the rescue service and its units, which was influenced by numerous transitions from former agencies to the newly created Ministry of Emergency Situations. This led to a misperception of the pyrotechnicians' work, as they were often equated with military formations of the Armed Forces. However, with the final establishment of the service within SES, the situation changed positively in the perception of pyrotechnicians as employees of the SES, as well as in the importance of their contribution to ensuring public safety.
The results of the content analysis indicate a shift in the dynamics of how pyrotechnic unit workers, the departmental structure, and their activities are perceived. The main criteria affecting the general perception of the service and its image include the established uniform, protective gear, media coverage, and the precise mention of the profession and agency name. It has been determined that before the formation of SES, there was neglect in the use of clear terminology and mention of the rescue service, with information often presented in a generalized manner. This had a negative impact, leading to a misperception by the public of the pyrotechnicians' activities within the rescue service. Essentially, a generalized image of rescue service specialists was created, equating them with military personnel of the Armed Forces.
In today's reality, this situation has shown positive dynamics in distinguishing SES pyrotechnicians as specialists in humanitarian demining, separating them from employees of other agencies performing sapper activities.