VOLUNTEERS CORNER ❘ By THOMAS W. CASTELLOW
The number of potential firefighter candidates seems to dwindle every year. I see social media posts exclaiming “Engine Company Out of Service” or the all-too-often “Out of Service Due to Staffing.” When I inquired about beginning my career with a volunteer department, I was told, “Our roster is full.” It took me visiting a handful of departments to find one that was able to even consider taking volunteers because of charter structures at that time. That was 16 years ago, a far cry from where we are today.
Today, we can’t afford to turn down potential volunteers. This doesn’t just apply to volunteer departments, either; it could easily resonate with many smaller career departments as well. Why is this important? You may think I’m going to pitch recruitment posters and signing bonuses, but if we worked a little harder at retention of trained, quality firefighters, we wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on recruiting. This article will detail a few simple ways to potentially retain the quality firefighters you already have.
- A Solution to Volunteer Recruitment and Retention: Training
- Messaging for Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment
- Put Out Your Recruitment Fire with ‘Big Change’
We could talk about the reasons people are no longer drawn to stay in the fire service; this varies greatly based on call volume, geographic area, and much more. People who used to volunteer their time are starting to realize it may take more than just a 9 to 5 job to make ends meet. This means that the time they could have spent volunteering is instead spent working part-time jobs or chasing the all-elusive dollar. Although volunteering is fun, it doesn’t exactly pay any bills. Paid-per-call systems may help alleviate some of this burden, but they aren’t the end-all solution. Factor in current political climates and hostilities toward firefighters and paramedics; pandemic responses and exposures toward deadly diseases; post-traumatic stress disorder; mental health strain; lack of sleep; and missing birthdays, holidays, and family events, and you will see why the odds are stacked against us. So, what can we do to keep these people?
Marketing
Marketing your department shows potential new members the benefits of joining and what your department does. Just as a business continues to market itself, we must continually market our members and their positive actions, especially to the community, by showcasing and highlighting their accomplishments within the organization. So, assign a member to pull Internet videos, gather the other members, put together a video showcasing the department’s best and brightest moments, and post it online.
Typically, every department has one or two members with helmet cameras, GoPros, or some similar device. Put someone you trust in charge of reviewing and editing footage from these devices, and make sure the content is politically correct.
As an administrator, I know that video can be detrimental to the department, but in the right hands, it can pay dividends. So, edit out anything will reflect badly on the department such as swearing, identifiable patients, or other nonpolitically correct footage. By doing this, you will reduce the possibility of releasing footage detrimental to your department and empower those within to explore their passion and creative side. You will give members a vested interest in the organization and show that they can make valuable contributions as well as instill a sense of pride and ownership in their work, something they can showcase to others.
Recognition Items
One thing our department found important to implement and build is a reward system. Granted, it’s far from perfect and started out small, but it seemed to have a profound impact on our members, and they were driven to stay.
We found early on that buying $300 worth of rain/cold weather/station wear jackets and liners was not cost effective when members would leave shortly after receiving them. Add to the fact that some were custom embroidered, and we were losing out when these members left after one year. So, we built a tiered system that, while uniform, still allowed members to showcase their tenure. Members who were only on the department for one year were given their Class B uniform and badges. The badges were generic and would be switched out with “Firefighter” badges once recruit and probationary training was completed. The generic badges could be reissued, but the “Firefighter” ones were issued permanently to the individual.
Two-year members were given a custom-embroidered job shirt. After five years of credible service, we then looked at purchasing the larger-cost items, like $300 raincoats. This reward system doesn’t have to be large-scale; it could be as simple as buying “company” baseball caps for members. Start small for newer members who run the risk of leaving and save the large purchases for tenured members who will stay. Show them that if they invest in the department, you will, in turn, invest in them.
We based another portion of the reward system on qualifications and fireground ability. Newer members were given turnout gear bags. Although still a “personal touch,” these items were unmarked so they could be recollected and dispersed if unused. This may already be something we have given out, so each department can tailor this to their needs. For firefighters who were released to go interior or who graduate a recruit academy, we purchased custom storm flaps for their coats. Members were initially given generic flaps that displayed the department name (i.e., “MOYOCK” for Moyock Fire Department). These were then changed out with custom name flaps, and the generic ones were recycled for newer incoming recruits.
Once they received their custom name flaps, members could keep them (we would not be able to recycle items bearing custom names). Recruits were also given some essentials for their turnout gear such as webbing, wire snips, door chocks, and other “essentials” for the job. After three years, they were given personal flashlights, which we didn’t have on the truck at the time—only the larger box lights.
The culmination of graduating from a probationary or entry-level firefighter to journeyman level is the exchange of helmets and helmet fronts. In our case, members started with a yellow “salad bowl”-type helmet (red in some departments) and progressed to a black traditional helmet. At a quick glance, this denotes who can do what on a fireground (unsupervised) and gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Take this a step further by changing out the leather helmet fronts for denoting master firefighters, engineers, or other titles and accomplishments. A $60 investment in your member shows you are invested in him and encourages career progression.
This investment doesn’t have to be $60 either; it can be tailored specifically to your budget. Challenge coins, patches, and off-duty “swag” can make them feel as though they are an integral part of the organization. In addition, these items can be sold to the community or at events, and you can then reinvest that money directly into the members and retention rewards.
Not to be confused with rewards, awards are an entirely different realm of recognition for current members. Does your department have an up-to-date awards recognition program? How do you recognize someone who has gone above and beyond the normal scope of his duties? How do you recognize someone for saving a life? Our answer to this was writing and implementing an awards program. The culmination of this was an annual awards banquet, where new awards were handed out and members had the opportunity to wear and showcase their Class A uniforms and awards. This was also an opportunity to give out the tenured items, as mentioned earlier.
I hear all the time, “The only time we wear our Class As is for a funeral.” Shouldn’t we have a chance to celebrate instead of mourning every time we don that uniform? Members were initially provided a Class B uniform to wear to events and ceremonies. After five years, the department provided them with a full head-to-toe Class A. Again, a Class A uniform is too expensive to buy for a member who comes around for one year and then rolls out, but Class As, like turnout gear, are not “one size fits all”; they need to be correctly sized and measured for the proper uniform.
This awards program was furthered by detailing awards we could give out in the department, wearing order, and nomination form in a department standard operating guideline. Things such as meritorious service or Firefighter of the Year could be recognized and noted on the member’s uniform with commendation bars.
Morale
This is the most important part. Does your department listen to the members and their requests? If not, it should. Ask yourself, what are some common reasons we lose firefighters? Some may blame burnout, while others may say, “I’m tired of missing birthdays” or “I want to be home with my kids more.” If members are getting hammered, propose something like a “shift schedule,” especially if there is no direct cost to the department. Things like this should be a no-brainer. Everyone has heard the expression “happy wife, happy life”; the same applies here. If employees feel their opinion is valued and heard, they will tend to be more productive and invest more heavily in the department.
One time, I was asked by a fellow volunteer if I liked a new forcible entry tool for the rig and would consider purchasing it. I responded with a curveball he didn’t see coming: “I personally like the tried-and-true ax and halligan. I’m just not a fan of this new tool but, as a chief officer in this department, there is little likelihood that I will be forcing a door anyway. So, I am all for buying the new tools if that is what the members who are primarily forcing doors would prefer.” My responsibilities had shifted to that of incident command and running the scene. Is it great for chief officers to be involved and know how to use equipment? Absolutely! However, at the end of the day, the “end user” is the most important person to consider implementing new tools or equipment. Chief officers who tend to micromanage quickly discourage the members under them.
Volunteers have families and other obligations in their lives, including their full-time job. As a young firefighter, one of the hardest things for me to make volunteer leadership understand was that I couldn’t make most business meetings and pancake breakfasts because of my full-time job. Their response was, “Take a day off.” When an organization gives only a dozen or so annual leave days, the last thing I wanted to do is abandon my family again and spend the day “at work.”
One way to meet this challenge head on is by getting to know the families of the members under you. Hold department picnics, cookouts, awards ceremonies, and other events to which members can bring family members. This also helps you get “buy-in” from spouses and other family members when they feel their sacrifice is being recognized. If volunteers have a strong support system and everything is in order at home, they will be more apt to participate in the organization. If you really want to take this to the next level, have the event catered or take them out to eat. This makes the event less like a chore for members and shows them your appreciation.
How about a member who requests to attend firefighter training or some other specific request? If the member is not a troublemaker or “problem,” entertain his request. Again, at zero cost to the employee, you show him that you understand and empathize with his request. It is a huge morale boost to any firefighter to know his voice was heard, and good conduct will be rewarded. Show him it’s not just the “squeaky wheel that gets the oil.”
Morale is the single largest retention factor in any department. If your people aren’t motivated to work for you, there is plenty of opportunity outside of the organization. Show them you care and are receptive to their needs and wants, if they are feasible. The more you build them up, the more they will make you shine as a leader. Leaders must have people under them or else they are not leading anything.
Training
What emphasis does your department put on training? Is the emphasis placed on things that have little to no effect on your department? Something like an annual document security training online has little to no bearing on our job. Do members want a day to attend a rapid intervention team Mayday class in a neighboring department? Let the crew run short long enough for them to take their class and then come back—again, at zero cost!
A long time ago, I learned that you should always be training your replacement. When administration doesn’t do this, it leaves the department reeling when that person leaves. Training a replacement provides a relatively seamless transition if someone must act in that member’s absence. This can be applied to every position, from the top down. Good leaders recognize this and begin to train someone who is under them. If a firefighter wants to take Fire Officer 16 or if he has completed the required training such as Firefighter 2, why not let him? Firefighters are quickly going to become unmotivated if their drive and motivation to grow aren’t harnessed properly by the organization. Allow them to drive department vehicles to and from classes in and out of the area and encourage members to put in for scholarships and other opportunities. I know many volunteers who specifically maintain their membership to capitalize on training opportunities.
We must “recruit” the members who already work with us rather than just potential new firefighters. They have put in the time and effort for the organization and should be a little more important to us than potential outsiders. If you are a manager or chief officer, retaining members currently in the organization is much cheaper than starting from scratch. Plus, when you are bringing in new firefighters, it may be months before they are ready to hit the floor and “produce” for the organization. Take care of your people and they will, in turn, take care of you!
THOMAS W. CASTELLOW is a 15-plus-year fire and emergency services veteran and the former deputy chief of the Moyock (NC) Fire Department. He carries the designation of fire officer with the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is a career captain and NREMT-P with Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire and Emergency Services. Castellow has a bachelor of science in fire administration from Columbia Southern University and is a member of the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
