Will changing our name from Volunteers to Reserves really help us gain equality with our paid counterparts? This chief thinks so but I’d like to hear your constructive comments. Continue reading Is reserving a name change right for the volunteer fire service?
Where there’s smoke…there’s a Delaware Volunteer Firefighter! proclaims this web site dedicated to recruiting more for their ranks.
Delaware’s recruitment clearinghouse site does a great job of getting the right information in the hands of the right people by sharing scrolling sections that explain what it means to be a volunteer; and detail both the benefits and requirements of volunteering.
It lays the foundation for realistic expectations, sharing that “In any given week you will spend some time in training, attending meetings, maintaining equipment, and a variety of other duties in addition to going out on calls…an average weekly commitment can be five to eight hours.”
It also talks about how some volunteer fire departments have [smartly] diversified their workforce with administrative staff to help run the corporate side of the Fire Company, Fire Police, and Auxiliary members who support in a variety of ways – exemplifying the FireRECRUITER.com motto that “Firefighting isn’t for everyone – but volunteering can be!”
I had the pleasure of sharing my “Xbox Live(tm)” conversation at the Delaware State Fire School last month for a group of dedicated and engaged fire service leaders who are definitely on the right path to doing something positive about their recruitment and retention ‘situation.’ Continue reading “Where there’s smoke…”
Orange Beach, Alabama’s Fire Department has gotten creative with a bunk-in program that leads to real career opportunities.
While other FDLiveIn.com-like programs may prepare you to take a paid firefighting position in a neighboring fire department, county or state, the Orange Beach approach a step further (or closer to home) to create a farm system for the future of their fire department. And, it offers a ton of great tangible benefits in return for running calls.
Here’s the announcement from their Facebook page. Check it out. Live the dream! Continue reading “Orange Beach Creates Resident Firefighter Program”
Great job by the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps (LVAC) in producing this professional video demonstrating their capabilities and dedication to the community, just in time to celebrate their 60th anniversary of service to the Town of Lancaster and Village of Depew NY.
With lots of images of their hard-working team, radio traffic voice overs and realistic looking mocked up emergency scenes, the video matches their clean and professional website in doing it right in motivating citizens to get involved and volunteer with this active emergency services agency.
Check out their video and visit: www.lancasterambulance.org. Continue reading “Be a hero, save lives, join LVAC!”
Given the national decline in experience-building fire load (aka-the work we do as firefighters), I’ve written before about the challenge of today’s fire service leaders to dig in and invest more in their firefighters than ever before to prepare them for success — and succession. While my first passion lies in recruiting the brightest and the best, training your replacements is one of the most important steps in retaining their valued services. A well structured, disciplined approach to company training is a proven incentive for your firefighters to invest more time and energy in learning their craft and “responding to the … Continue reading Recruit your replacements. Train them well.
JOB OP: SENIOR EDITOR
Senior FPP Editor
Fire Protection Publications (FPP), the world’s leading publisher of high quality and technically accurate fire and emergency services training materials, is accepting applications for the position of FPP Senior Editor. FPP is an extension of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and is the headquarters of the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA).
The FPP Senior Editor’s primary responsibility is to manage the project development of fire service training manuals from chapter drafts through final publication. This responsibility includes coordinating the review of draft materials with a committee of subject matter experts; researching, writing, and/or revising original drafts; and selecting and assisting in the creation of photos, artwork, and tables for use in final publication. Continue reading “JOB OP: Senior Editor-FPP”
Advertisement for Hiring Pool
Leland Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department, Inc. is accepting applications for our 2013 hiring pool. This pool of applicants will be used to fill any part-time or full-time hiring that the department may need for 2013. Once the pool is created it will be used for all vacancies in 2013, until all qualified applicants are exhausted. The applicants shall possess one of the following:
NC Fire/Rescue Commission Firefighter II, Emergency Vehicle Driver, and Hazardous Materials Level I (Operations) and NC Office of EMS Credentials as an EMT- Basic or EMT-Intermediate. Continue reading “The Hiring Pool is Open – Leland NC”
Loudoun County VA has posted a paid Firefighter/EMT recruitment to their website at: www.loudoun.gov.
FIREFIGHTER/EMT
Recruitment #13-F136-322
Date Opened:
12/18/2012 8:00:00 AM
Closing Date:
1/2/2013 5:00:00 PM
Hiring Range:
$40,925
Department:
FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE
Job Type: Open and Competitive
Full/Part-Time: Full-Time
Eligible For: Full Benefits
Schedule: Varies
Reg/Temp: Regular Continue reading “Loudon County VA Hiring”
Volunteer fire departments, whether they realize it or not, compete for recruits. Sometimes with other volunteer fire departments but most often with a busy home life, other community organizations, volunteering opportunities and a wide array of social activities.
More importantly, what can we learn from college athletic recruiters like the NCSA who set up this registry for potential recruits? Do you use language like: “SEIZE the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – and change your life” to describe the benefits of joining your volunteer fire department? Continue reading “Draft Choices”
As we’ve shared before, recruiting veterans into the volunteer fire service can be a great solution to our staffing challenges. They might just be the perfect candidate as we don’t have to teach them discipline, respect, honor, loyalty, chain-of-command or teamwork. In return we offer the camaraderie, adrenaline rush, teamwork and sense of value that they miss from active duty. Check out this article at our sister site and think about the “VetNet” we could create in the Volunteer Fire Service. There’s an army of volunteers out there just waiting to be asked. Recruiting a Soldier|Firefighter may be the perfect fit for your volunteer fire department. … Continue reading “VetNet” To Help Military Veterans Re-Enter Civilian Life
FireRecruiter.com 