The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Leadership in Chautauqua County NY
I just wrapped up my "Leadership in the Firehouse" conversation with about 50 of the good folks in Chautauqua County tonight at the really cool Fredonia Opera House. What a great venue for an interactive conversation! And interactive it was with plenty of good discussion on people management and we even had quite a few good laughs too, mostly at my expense.
Hats off to Joel Biscaro and the Chautauqua County Chiefs for their commitment to the survival and success of the volunteer fire service in their communities.
I'll get into more detail later but for now I just wanted to set up this blog as a sounding board for their comments. I'd love to hear honest feedback as to what the participants thought of the discussion.
Read my other blogs and let me know what you think of my whacky ideas. I look forward to your feedback.
As promised, here’s some of the R&R resources we discussed last night – and some we didn’t get to.
Stay safe. Train often.
www.erie.gov/fire - This is where I hang my helmet every day
www.fasny.com – 48,000 members (strong?)
www.nvfc.org – Great R&R resources available for download
www.firecorps.org – I think everyone should have one
www.volunteermatch.org – If it’s free – it’s for me!
www.ecvfc.org – Hey, that’s my company!
www.firefighternewspaper.com – Managing Editor for 7 years. Had to quit cold turkey.
www.firefighternation.com – It doesn’t get any slicker than this. Meet me here.
www.myspace.com – Not just for acne-clad adolescents any more
www.facebook.com – Myspace for adults
www.buffalo.com/yourhub - Keep it real. Keep it local.
www.rollwithit.com – The sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen in recruitment efforts
www.spotsyfire.org – Nice recruitment video and ads from a county-wide fire department (Wow! Now there’s a crazy-ass idea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsW786u2mFU – Rockland County’s (NY) cool recruitment video
www.prideandownership.com – You absolutely, positively have to buy the DVD and the book “Pride & Ownership” by one of my personal heroes: Chief Rick Lasky
http://server.firehouse.com/carter/2000/081800.html - Harry Carter's "Are You a Good Follower" article. He gets this leadership thing.
www.firemansfund.com/intothefire - Another must have. Great motivational tool for your troops and a great recruitment tool for your target audience
http://www.pennwellblogs.com/fenews/smokeshowing - Smoke Showing. Ditto.
And last but certainly not least, from my friend and mentor Billy Goldfeder:
www.firefighterclosecalls.com – Not much about recruitment but I’m pretty sure “keeping us alive” is a great start towards retention. If you’re not subscribing to “The Secret List” you must be a special kind of stupid…
Here’s a bunch more that I just can’t think of any smart-ass comments to make about them:
VFD Resources - http://vfd-resources.com/firefighter_training/VFD%20Management%20Course/table_of_contents.htm
North Carolina Recruitment Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5wgLD00iW0
Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment & Retention in rural Pennsylvania
http://www.ruralpa.org/Volunteer_firefighters06.pdf
How to Recruit Volunteer Firefighters: http://www.ehow.com/how_2081437_find-volunteer-firefighters.html
http://www.vcos.org/resources/Recruitment%20&%20Retention%20Austrialian%20-%20US%20Study.pdf
http://www.okotoks.ca/pdf/Human%20Resources/employment/VolPostingFF07.pdf
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-310.pdf
Add a Comment
-
Comment by Tiger Schmittendorf on October 27, 2007 at 8:11pm
-
Thanks Jasen -
I hope you had as much fun and got out of it as much as I did.
You touch on an important note. It's time, the "social epicenter of the community" as I call it, re-takes charge of the community by instilling the principles we spoke of Wednesday night and that you speak of in your comments.
We, the volunteer fire service, are what's right about America - and America obviously needs to be reminded of that. But, that's not a burden for us - it's yet another opportunity.
Family values, community values, brotherhood values - that's what we're about. Our challenge is to bring these values to the forefront and use them to our advantage in increasing our ranks as well as our financial support.
Keep the faith.
Stay safe. Train often.
-
Comment by Jasen Erick on October 27, 2007 at 6:09pm
-
We certainly appreciated the seminar on the 24th. Although I didn't get a chance to make a point about why we get stuck raising our own funds when the other town, village and city dept.'s have all of thier needs budgeted. I personaly think that our priorities in this society are backwards. I know guy's that will complain to no end if they hear thier tax's may be going up $20 to cover the costs of fire and police protection, but have no problem with paying extra because the cost of thier season tickets for thier favorite team went up. Call me prejudice but WTF is wrong with these people. Plus we teach our children that these athletes are hero's,when half of them are in court more often then on the field or court. Where are our priorities. That may be Part of our recruitment and retention problem as well. We need to start instilling the values of our gradparents if we are going to see our dept. future's continue. Just an Asst. Chief blowing of some steam about an issue that really get's to me.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
You need to be a member of My Firefighter Nation to add comments!
Join My Firefighter Nation