When asked what his or her biggest challenge is, every volunteer fire or EMS leader will answer, “getting more quality volunteers.” The challenges for these volunteer service leaders are: 1) they lack the time to prepare and execute recruitment and retention activities; 2) they lack the materials and supplies for the recruitment and retention processes; and 3) they don’t always capitalize on the best practice recruitment and retention methods available. A recently acquired grant will allow Madison County to address each of these issues.
Madison County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has launched a volunteer Fire & EMS Recruitment effort. The OEM was successful in receiving a competitive grant from the State Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. According to Ted Halpin, Director of Emergency Management this $24,000 grant supports this effort in the following manner:
This grant will support our 22 volunteer fire departments in their recruitment and retention activities. This grant will serve to help volunteer departments be better able to execute recruitment and retention efforts by assisting them with:
1) sharing the best practice elements of recruitment and retention
2) understanding the mindset of prospective volunteers
3) in framing their recruitment message
4) the preparation needed for successful recruitment
5) the materials needed for recruitment
6) preparing their mentors to new members
7) the advertisement of applicants to their department
According to Dave VanNamee, the project’s Coordinator, this grant will also help volunteer departments prepare, design, and create materials needed for successful recruitment. “We have designed and purchased recruitment supplies to help our volunteer departments in their recruitment activities. We are excited and honored to be able to assist these outstanding volunteer organizations in their recruitment efforts”.
VanNamee stated that in addition to working with the volunteer fire departments directly, we will be at the upcoming County Fair in Brookfield, the Fireman’s Fair in DeRuyter, and hopefully in each of the high schools in the County this Fall, delivering our recruitment message.
The website www.MadCoHeroes.com has been developed to aid in this project. The website acts as a service for people interested about becoming a volunteer firefighter or EMT. According to VanNamee, “there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers to serve. Volunteer agencies need interior firefighters, exterior firefighters, medical personnel, and fire/police members. Not everyone is looking to do the interior firefighting job, but many people want to serve their community. This program can help these people achieve this goal”.
More information can be secured by going to the www.MadCoHeroes.com website or by mailing EM@madisoncounty.ny.gov.
Ted Halpin, Jr., MPA, CEM, director of Emergency Management, Madison County