Volunteer Recruiting: A Success Story
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Recruiting is an attitude that brings the whole community together… and makes your department better.
Photos by Farmington Hills Fire Department
Many departments engage in active recruiting of volunteer or on-call firefighters just to maintain their current service levels. In many cases, run volume is increasing, responsibilities are expanding, and more stringent requirements for training are being placed upon the department members. Also, it seems that fewer people are willing or able to commit more time than is absolutely necessary.
Farmington Hills, one of the fastest growing communities in Michigan, has been challenged to maintain its combination fire department which relies heavily on on-call fire fighters. Like many other communities, it has experienced difficulties in recruiting and maintaining personnel. Run volume has doubled in the last five years to more than 3,500 incidents, and mandatory training requires more time from firefighters. Because of the strong commitment on the part of the city administration, the fire department has developed a plan to attract candidates and increase longevity of existing members.
Five years ago, only 65 out of 80 on-call vacancies were filled in the Farmington Hills Fire Department. The average tenure of active members was approximately two years. After the last recruitment effort, however, the roster totals 92 oncall firefighters—and a waiting list has been established. Also, firefighters are staying with the department for longer periods of time, with average longevity approaching five years. At least one new application is received per week.
How did we do it?
The first challenge was to put our house in order, assessing our situation and our product. The need to actively recruit was obvious.
We recognized that a clear connection exists between recruiting new members and maintaining existing personnel. Although there are many successful ideas to attract potential members, any lasting impact would be based upon the development of a good, sound organization. Our entire program is based upon the philosophy that a “winning” organization will be self-sustaining and people will want to be affiliated with a “winning” fire department.
A product to sell
There are many organizations besides fire departments that rely on recruiting, including the armed forces, colleges and universities, country clubs, and service groups. Though each is unique, successful organizations have a winning reputation and enthusiastic membership and alumni. Members are proud of their organization and exude that pride.
Look at America’s armed forces, for example. Their survival is dependent upon successful recruitment (unless the nation returns to a draft). They expend a great deal of resources in working toward this goal. (By contrast, many fire departments commit small resources toward recruitment.) What they are “selling” is pride, enthusiasm, self-esteem and personal development—many of the same things we offer a member of the fire service. The armed forces challenge people by saying that they’re not for everyone. (The Marines are “looking for a few good men.”) These recruitment philosophies can be applied to fire departments.
Being an on-call firefighter is a great opportunity, and the fire service has an excellent product to sell. Some of the advantages are a chance to save a life, give something to the community, put some excitement into your life, and to enjoy the comradery. Everyone may not be interested or capable, but there are plenty of potential candidates—they just need to be discovered and challenged.
But recruiting can be done successfully without a lot of hard sell and fanfare. Building your fire department into a more efficient organization, one that’s deeply respected by the community in general, attracts candidates. Begin by educating and training all members of the department, and establish recognition programs. Soon, self-esteem and pride will grow in abundance. It won’t be long before the community catches on, inspired by the success of its own firefighters. Confidence leads to appreciation. . . and new recruits.
The value of a good organization with good people, then, can’t be underestimated in the recruitment process. The product being sold — membership in the fire department—is very attractive to those looking to be associated with a “vyinner.” But perhaps more importantly, members will desire to see continued improvement within the department, lending their support to the recruitment process.
Like many organizations (colleges and service clubs, for example), you’ll find current members one of the best resources for recruiting potential candidates. They have a vested interest in their department and a tendency to attract quality people who have a better understanding of the fire department than the general public. We recognize this valuable resource and offer incentives to firefighters who recruit the most candidates during a given period. Alumni can also be beneficial for similar reasons. We have found many good firefighters on referral of former members, including relatives.
Mass marketing
Marketing and advertising will, in part, determine our success. Building a better mousetrap doesn’t necessarily mean that people will beat a path to your door. Take every opportunity to contact potential members and emphasize the positive aspects of the job. The Farmington Hills Fire Department uses a formal process which includes advertisements in the local newspaper, direct mailing to residences, meetings with special interest groups, and cable TV. These are used to full advantage when a specific recruitment period is established. This maximizes the numbers of potential candidates and allows for group hiring, which makes the training process easier.
However, recruitment should be a continuous, year-round process. Visible fire department activities, such as public fire education, parades, and fire prevention week, are excellent times to recruit. We have also experienced good results during training programs, particularly live training burns. These usually attract crowds and are an exciting part of the job.
The general approach is to keep the fire department highly visible so the public is aware of its type of fire department and the need for personnel. Local press coverage of department events, both emergency and nonemergency, can be invaluable. Positive press coverage enhances the department’s image and can give members well-deserved recognition, helping develop pride in the organization.
Obstacles to recruiting and personnel maintenance
The department must be aware of factors which impede the recruiting and maintenance process. One major problem is the conflict between the department’s demands for time and personal commitments. Increased run volume, training, EMS, and fire prevention activities can conflict with an individual’s need for leisure or family activities.
The Farmington Hills department emphasizes that being an oncall firefighter can be exciting and even fun, and the time required usually isn’t more than any other part-time job (though the hours are irregular). We stress that time spent as an on-call firefighter is meaningful, interesting, and responsible time; but social activities can be found within the organization, too. Our members have softball teams, basketball games, picnics, holiday parties, golf outings, and other social activities.
Another problem which may make recruiting difficult is the community’s lack of awareness about how on-call or volunteer firefighters are used. Many people are unaware of our reliance on this type of system. They only know that someone will respond if they call. We accept this as a compliment and a testament to our professionalism, but it hinders our search for new people.
The money factor presents little if any barrier to a good recruitment program. The cost involved in the Farmington Hills program represents but a very small percentage of its total budget. In the spirit of community cooperation, local newspapers and other organizations are generally happy to run announcements, relatively free of charge, as a public service.
The recruitment process
Even though we accept applications from all interested people, only those who meet minimum standards are allowed to proceed with the hiring process. We want to keep standards high; we want to maintain pride within the department that comes from knowing that firefighters are special people. Remember, the fire service is not for everyone.
As part of our formal recruitment process, we hold an information meeting for potential candidates. There, we explain the requirements and outline the hiring process. (Our most recent meeting attracted more than 100 people, of which 78 completed applications. This gave us a good field to choose from.) We then process the applicants through two oral review panels, a physical agility test, background check, driver’s check, and a physical examination. If the applicant is acceptable, he or she enters recruit school and begins Firefighter I and First Responder training. After completing basic training, they can respond to emergencies. They serve a one-year probationary period, driring which they are evaluated by department personnel and complete their training. They receive group instruction and individual attention from members of their assigned station.
Increasing effectiveness of recruiting efforts can greatly enhance a fire department. Seldom is an organization blessed with an endless supply of volunteer or oncall firefighters. Departments need to take some initiative and aggressivelv pursue potential candidates. This needs to be creatively done in concert with the overall development of the organization, and with maintaining existing personnel. Recruitment becomes an attitude and is successful when associated with a “winning” fire department.
