It seems that every volunteer department in our area has an annual awards or appreciation banquet for its members. Good or bad I have been invited to be Master of Ceremonies at many of these get togethers. I can tell a few jokes, share a wonderful meal, and even get credit for taking my wife out for a night of dancing if everything works out to her liking.

Recently I have become friends with the local newspaper columnist that has also tagged along, by invitation, to many of these same banquets. He mentioned to me that he never realized how many people of various backgrounds could be found associated in some way with their local fire department. That’s when it hit me. A special invitation to teach has just fallen in my lap.

I concurred and mentioned that these people, in Blossburg, PA this night, just paid cash for a new tanker (tender in western parlance) and are among the first in the nation to get the newest style airpacks from Scott. “Oh, and by the way that’s a quarter of a million dollars worth of stuff in about two years.” He was incredulous. “How did they do that,” he said, as he got out his pen. I proceeded to tell him about the federal grant process and how many departments that are in his readership area that have also benefited in some way from these grants. He knew NOTHING about it. He now has a feel good story to run for the first week that he runs out of banquets to attend. And better than that people will learn that their local tax dollars are not being used frivolously but as matching money to leverage better fire protection in their small local area. Did I mention that this town of less than 2000 people just had their ISO rating reduced from a six to a five because of these forward thinking volunteers?

As I was extolling their praises I began thinking about my much larger department that has been stuck at ISO 4 for years and wondered why this little place has it all together? I spoke to the chief there and he said that they look for continuity in membership. No age or type of member is more important than one that they don’t have. For example now they have no members that are between the ages of 60 and 70. They have some members that are 70+ that still come out to help especially during the day but no near future retirees immediately available to replace them. That is the focus of their membership drive now. They are dovetailing that with a request for 30-40 year old people to fill a hole there. How many of us think this far ahead? How many plan for succession? How many look at the run sheets and see the same young guys turning older but no new names on the list?

Blossburg gave their members a newly designed t-shirt to wear around town to promote the FD. To get to the word out we want you, not just to roll hose, but to learn how to write the grants that will continue to keep the department alive as the new members join, and of course are reported on by the local cub reporter that was invited to their banquet. Nice, nice, some things do work in our favor, if we just take advantage of them.

That's the shirt. Nothing spectacular, borrowed from Boston, but an eloquent ad none the less.