Tips, Tricks, and Tactics.

[EFDSTUSSY]

Well,
We have tried several things in our city. One was posters, community wide mailers explaining how we operate and why volunteers are so important, quarterly family gatherings for FD members, signs at all entrances to town stating who covers and how to join, also we have expanded ourself to the web.....department website with all information available with a FAQ section, as well as a Myspace account for the FD with which we have had good success. Anything else peole are doing out there?

[BlueMtnsFirey]

Postcards handed out at fairs, colleges etc - targeting specific groups (women, students etc) - all have recruitment info including websites on the back - these are for our POC positions for smaller, rural towns/areas

the three I have seen are
MEN : Extremely polite to women carrying an axe
LECTURE THEATRES : The perfect place to sleep after fighting a fire
TREES: More interesting with a cat up them


They have also got a few for the back of buses
such as - If you were driving a firetruck, you would be past us by now....

enjoy

[LaFireEducator]

Sounds like you guys have an excellent plan.

Question - Do you have multiple levels of membership such as interior firefighter, exterior or support firefighter, fireground support member, non-fireground support or administrative member.

Having multiple types of membership allows you to recruit from a wider range. For example, you may have someone who does not want to be interior but wants to take an active role on the fireground, who could come on as an exterior or support firefighter. You may have a truck driver that does not want to activly fight fire but can drive and pump anything you own. He could also be a support firefighter. You may have folks that are willing to change bottles, take photos and assist with rehab - support members. Or folks that don't want to operate on the fireground but would be willing to help with pubed or fix trucks or assist with filing training reports, or any other administrative tasks - administrative member.

Having these folks can take the pressure of the firfigthers both on and off the fireground.

One thing did see missing, or I missed it, was recruiting targeted to very specific groups. Example toting the pysixal aspects of firefighting to athletes, ex-atheltes or fitness type folks at gyms and in the high schools. Recruiting targeted to seniors at the places they gather if you have the administrative member option. High Schools if you have a junior firefighter program or the high school ROTC program emphasizing the para-military and team aspect of firefighting.

Look at your community and see if there are any other niche groups that firefighting may appeal to.

[EFDSTUSSY]

We have Firefighters, EMS personnel, Pud Ed, and Support Services. Splitting these has been very beneficial to our recruiting! Targeting specific groups has been on our agenda for over a year but we have not come up with any specific plans other than utilizing the HS for Explorers and a group called "Retired Senior Volunteer Program" or RSVP. Would like to speak more specifically to women and married couples (usually those are the people who think they can't join or won't fit in). One thing a friend of mine showed me and we have copied was to make recruitment cards for members to hand out and to place under our posters and on businesses front counters.....printed similar to a business card except on heavy gauge plastic (bright colors) with all of our contact info on it. It has netted us a few and was exceptionally cheap to do.

[Lump532]

I have two ideas for you.

My last volunteer department recently held a citizens fire academy, much like the local PD's citizens police academy. I do not know how well it worked as I am waiting to hear back from my old Chief but it sounds like a great idea to me.

The second is not a new one. The same department has had an explorer post for many years and now most of their new members come from it. The entire group and joined with me came from the post. It is a lot of work, but if you can get it off the ground there is a lot of potential.

[Fatkid4]

What about Rehab? I am a volunteer combat FF and we have an awesome rehab volunteer group that responds to fires and trainings. Its good for folks that like to take vitals, refill air tanks, and protect victams and rehabing FF from the elements and replenish us with water and food.

Deligate more responsability to diversify jobs and recruite a larger spectrum of candidates.