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Tabar S A M M. A Comprehensive Analysis of Citizens’ Participatory Behaviors in Enhancing Urban Safety: A Case Study of the Mashhad Fire Department and Safety Services. Disaster Prev. Manag. Know. 2026; 15 (4) :620-645
URL: http://dpmk.ir/article-1-747-en.html

Background and objective Safety has become one of the most fundamental human needs in contemporary life. In this regard, fire departments primarily seek to reduce incidents through preventive measures, such as providing safety education and promoting safe practices. In the second stage, they respond to emergencies and actively confront incidents when they occur. Undoubtedly, public participation and cooperation with fire departments significantly support these organizations in effectively fulfilling their duties. Given the low level of citizen involvement in firerelated activities in Iran and specifically in Mashhad City, Iran, and considering the lack of scientific investigation on this issue, the present study aimed to examine and elucidate citizens’ participatory behaviors in improving urban safety, using the Mashhad Fire Department and Safety Services as a case study.
Method This research was conducted using a survey method. The statistical population consisted of citizens of Mashhad City, from whom 821 individuals were selected as a sample from the 13 municipal districts. Sampling was performed using proportionate stratified sampling combined with multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire.
Results The results indicate that citizens’ adherence to safety principles is relatively high. The variable “willingness to participate” has a positive and significant effect (β=0.26) on participatory behaviors in firefighting activities. The greatest influence on willingness to participate is related to subjective norms (β=0.46), perceived importance of participation (β=0.23), and attitude toward participation (β=0.12), respectively. Furthermore, the perceived importance of participation affects attitude toward participation (β=0.78) and subjective norms (β=0.72).
Conclusion Greater attention should be given to the variable of the perceived importance of participation in safety and crisis management, due to its significant influence on attitudes, subjective norms, and subsequently, the willingness to participate.