The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
How do you attract volunteer firefighters?
This question has plagued many volunteer departments for decades. People volunteer for many different reasons: everyone in their family has done so for generations so they do so also, to help serve their community and others, to enrich their own life and add to their experiences, and to seek the glory and spotlight.
The first and last reason are the hardest to deal with. If someone joins just because their grandpa and father were on and that is their only motivation then you will not be able to reach them. Chances are they just feel the pressure from the family to follow tradition but their heart will not be in it. In contrast, the last one who joins just to flash a badge and drive down the street in a shiny red truck. They are in it just to look good and impress people and will be a danger to both themselves and their teammates.
The ones that are there to serve the community and also enrich their own lives are the heart and soul of the volunteer fire department. They are the hard workers. The ones who will work all day and then stay out all night to fight a fire and get up again in the morning to go to their regular job. They are the ones who will want to train. They realize that training is important and will provide them with the skills necessary to stay safe. They enrich their lives by adding knowledge and skills, by creating goodwill in the community and by helping their neighbors and friends.
Now all this is fine and dandy, but how do we attract and retain these people? It is getting harder and harder for volunteer departments to find people that are willing to devote some time. I am ashamed to say that most of my generation would rather spend all their free time playing video games or hanging out at the bars (and I'm not necessarily young either . . . just reaching my prime at 37!). People are much more mobile these days and because of that have not developed the sense of community and belonging that was the mainstay of rural America. Neighbors do not know neighbors anymore. Without knowing your community the desire to help and serve them diminishes.
In my opinion the future of the volunteer departments depends upon public relations. It is essential for the vol. departments to spend time out in the community. Get to know the people there. Host picnics and bbq's. Go to the schools and teach fire prevention. Have a dunk tank at the local fair. Install smoke detectors for the elderly. Bag groceries at the local store one day and hand out fire safety tips. Write letters to the editor or monthly news columns talking about all aspects of fire safety and prevention and also highlight and recognize the training and achievements of the members.
The community needs to know what we do and see us devoting the time to better ourselves. Make sure you talk up your training (don't exagerate or fake it) but do your weekly or monthly trainings out where the public can see you. Take pictures and submit them to the newspapers. Get to know the community during good times . . . don't wait until tragedy strikes before they see you.
Public relations is a big component of recruitment. Once the community sees you having a good time doing training or putting on a breakfast and sees how well everyone works together they will be more willing to want to be a part of that group. Remember, every time your department is seen by the public doing something it can be used as a chance for inviting someone to consider joining your ranks.
I believe it is best to screen your members. I would rather have a smaller department made up of quality, dedicated firefighters than to swell the ranks with bodies just to do so. If your department is filled with glory hounds and wannabe's or with those who don't want to put in the time necessary then these people will reflect badly upon the whole department making it even harder to attract good new members. Just because we are volunteers does not mean that we can not be professional, nor does it relieve us of certain duties and responsibilities. I want to know that I can trust the person next to me with my life and want them to have the same confidence in me too.
Retention then is a whole new subject that will be discussed next time.
The first and last reason are the hardest to deal with. If someone joins just because their grandpa and father were on and that is their only motivation then you will not be able to reach them. Chances are they just feel the pressure from the family to follow tradition but their heart will not be in it. In contrast, the last one who joins just to flash a badge and drive down the street in a shiny red truck. They are in it just to look good and impress people and will be a danger to both themselves and their teammates.
The ones that are there to serve the community and also enrich their own lives are the heart and soul of the volunteer fire department. They are the hard workers. The ones who will work all day and then stay out all night to fight a fire and get up again in the morning to go to their regular job. They are the ones who will want to train. They realize that training is important and will provide them with the skills necessary to stay safe. They enrich their lives by adding knowledge and skills, by creating goodwill in the community and by helping their neighbors and friends.
Now all this is fine and dandy, but how do we attract and retain these people? It is getting harder and harder for volunteer departments to find people that are willing to devote some time. I am ashamed to say that most of my generation would rather spend all their free time playing video games or hanging out at the bars (and I'm not necessarily young either . . . just reaching my prime at 37!). People are much more mobile these days and because of that have not developed the sense of community and belonging that was the mainstay of rural America. Neighbors do not know neighbors anymore. Without knowing your community the desire to help and serve them diminishes.
In my opinion the future of the volunteer departments depends upon public relations. It is essential for the vol. departments to spend time out in the community. Get to know the people there. Host picnics and bbq's. Go to the schools and teach fire prevention. Have a dunk tank at the local fair. Install smoke detectors for the elderly. Bag groceries at the local store one day and hand out fire safety tips. Write letters to the editor or monthly news columns talking about all aspects of fire safety and prevention and also highlight and recognize the training and achievements of the members.
The community needs to know what we do and see us devoting the time to better ourselves. Make sure you talk up your training (don't exagerate or fake it) but do your weekly or monthly trainings out where the public can see you. Take pictures and submit them to the newspapers. Get to know the community during good times . . . don't wait until tragedy strikes before they see you.
Public relations is a big component of recruitment. Once the community sees you having a good time doing training or putting on a breakfast and sees how well everyone works together they will be more willing to want to be a part of that group. Remember, every time your department is seen by the public doing something it can be used as a chance for inviting someone to consider joining your ranks.
I believe it is best to screen your members. I would rather have a smaller department made up of quality, dedicated firefighters than to swell the ranks with bodies just to do so. If your department is filled with glory hounds and wannabe's or with those who don't want to put in the time necessary then these people will reflect badly upon the whole department making it even harder to attract good new members. Just because we are volunteers does not mean that we can not be professional, nor does it relieve us of certain duties and responsibilities. I want to know that I can trust the person next to me with my life and want them to have the same confidence in me too.
Retention then is a whole new subject that will be discussed next time.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Jake Massey on April 10, 2009 at 10:35pm
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Hey I hear ya, We are kinda at a cross roads on my dept. We have a few young members including myself, but for the most part our guys are getting up there in age. Im not saying that they should hang it up. But sometimes it does worry me because they are pushing them selves. Heck we have had the same officers since I joined the dept. They are doing a great job, but that takes alot out of a person. Here recently a few of us were discussing going to the high school and trying to do a program to recruit some young blood.
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Comment by MICHELLE ADKINS on April 9, 2009 at 4:25pm
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Love the post. I am a volunteer in a smile town and it is hard to find people that what to show up on a call. We are a very young dept and some of our guys run for other volnteer depts as well. I fully understand the post we have some that is in the fire dept cause their fathers is on and they think they know it all and dont show up to have the runs. Just make sure you threat the ones that are still in it for the community right and they will be the ones that keep your dept together. That is how it is at station 11
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Comment by Keggster on April 9, 2009 at 2:37am
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Station10Capt106
Your comment hit home a good point. My dept is in the same boat. Our newest members are between age of 16 and 22. Most of our officers are in their mid to late 30's or 40's. And many of them have served as officers for years. It's getting tougher each year selecting people to lead the dept on both sides - civil and fire. Very few are willing or are capable of leading. As with any volunteer organzation - you have a core group of 5-10 people who do most of the work keeping things together and the rest just sit back and watch. There is no easy answer.
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Comment by shayna on April 8, 2009 at 5:06pm
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so right with the community if i never went to one of our steak dinners as a wife to a v.f i would have never grew a relationship with others and felt comfortable in which happened sooo fast....nice post
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Comment by Station10Capt106 on April 8, 2009 at 10:49am
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Allen,
Our department has run into the same situation. I've always felt like I was a probie until I reached 10 yrs of service. The past few years I have looked around at our department and I see a big gap in terms of age and experience. Those that are in my age group and older are now the captains, instructors, cheifs and leaders of the department. After us, there is about a 6-8 year gap of experience & age.
It is a little scary right now looking at who is on our department and who our future leaders will be. All of our guys are great firefighters but that does not mean that they will be good leaders. I feel as if our department has failed to provide for adequate continuation of leadership. This is a result of not focusing properly on training along with continual recruitment and retention of the members we already have.
I know that our department is not alone in dealing with this problem and we are actively working on trying to find a workable solution. Things always seem much easier on paper, but the actual application always has at least one monkey wrench thrown in.
Thank you for your input!
John
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Comment by Allen Wahlstrom on April 8, 2009 at 10:32am
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John,
Art, dt, and I have been going round and round over age in the fire service, and how to recruit younger volunteers to fill the gap that is rapidly opening between serviceable firefighters and guys who are well past their interior firefighting days. What to do with our senior members and finally how to set a standard for age in the volunteer ranks that doesn't run off our oldest members, but uses them in different capacities.
This conversation lends itself to that discussion as recruitment of fresh trainable bodies will make a lot of our issues subside with rolls filled by capable men and women. This would allow us to use our senior members in proper roles for their ages, instead of relying on them to do the job of much younger men.
Great post.
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Art,
Yes, preventable LODD is a top priority for the fire service. It scares me to death to think how easy it is for someone to get tunnel vision and not take a few seconds to stay safe. Or for those that do not feel the need for proper training either.
John
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Allen,
Of course there are exceptions to every rule. But I think that you have to agree that for the most part those that get pressured into it because it is family tradition do not have the drive to stay in it. There is nothing wrong with that either as this service is not for everyone.
I do agree that one needs to give it enough time to tell whether or not it is the right choice. A year or two should tell the story. Some will find out in just a couple months, others will take longer.
I'm glad to hear that it worked out well in your situation.
John
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Don't discount those who do it because of family history.
I was the poster child for feeling pressured into joining, yet after 18 months I was just as hooked as those who came before me and now 26 years later try my hardest to steer my boys away from the fire service.
If they choose to follow dad, I want it to be their decision, not something thrust upon them by family tradition.
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Comment by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on April 8, 2009 at 10:03am
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You can also go to Tiger Schmittendorf's website to his recruitment and retention toolbox and use the templates provided.
Though I use to think that R and R was THE burning issue in our fire service, I now believe that it is preventing preventable LODDs; particularly where it involves driving apparatus and physical fitness of the firefighter from ALL sectors of firefighting.
Excellent blog.
TCSS.
Art
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