Purpose: The overall purpose of this thesis was to explore and describe early response for community safety in rural areas with a focus on parttime firefighters’ work situation and family support.

Methods: The thesis used an inductive approach with an exploratory and descriptive design, including qualitative and quantitative research methods. Each study’s design was selected to align with its specific purpose. The five studies collectively contributed to fulfilling the overall purpose of the thesis. Descriptive and comparative statistics were employed to describe response times in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in relation to population density for volunteer first responders, fire and rescue services, and emergency medical services (I). A literature review was conducted to synthesize literature regarding non-career firefighters, with a focus on recruitment, retention and resignation (II). The Delphi technique was applied to identify pivotal factors that influence the ability of main employers to have employees who are part-time firefighters in rural areas in Sweden (III). Interviews were conducted and analysed using latent qualitative content analysis to describe the experiences of part-time firefighters in rural areas in Sweden (IV). Interviews were conducted and analysed with the Critical Incident Technique to describe the experiences and actions of part-time firefighters’ family members in rural areas in Sweden (V).

Findings: The fire and rescue services had a significant impact on reducing response times in non-urban settings compared to the emergency medical services (I). Culture, recognition and supportive leadership in the fire and rescue services played a crucial role in job satisfaction and retention among non-career firefighters (II). Main employers to part-time firefighters wanted to contribute to preserve a fire and rescue service in the community by encouraging employees to also work as part-time firefighters (III). Part-time firefighters shared a strong commitment and motivation but balanced the service with other responsibilities in life (IV). Family members of part-time firefighters faced challenges and dealt with uncertainties but adapted their daily lives to fit with the part-time firefighters’ work situation (V). The findings revealed that various dimensions and interrelated subsystems have an impact on part-time firefighters’ work situation and support, enabling early response for community safety in rural areas. These interrelated subsystems, driven by individual efforts, support part-time firefighters serving on-call in rural areas, demonstrating a shared commitment that involves responsibility as well as the dedication of time and resources.

Conclusion: The shared commitment found among part-time firefighters, their main employers, and their family members underscores their importance in supporting part-time firefighters’ work situation. This commitment and support are essential for retaining part-time firefighters, which enhances early response efforts and ensures community safety in rural areas. Consequently, “sharing is caring” is of pivotal importance.