As we all know, recruiting continues to be a major challenge for departments. Check out some of the tips we’ve come across for ways to reach and appeal to more potential candidates:

  • Your website is key. From the perspective of many people these days, especially young people, if you have a website that isn’t robust and user-friendly, you may as well not exist. Ideally, you want to have multiple pages devoted to recruiting, including how to become a volunteer firefighter, why you would want to, required training, frequently asked questions, and more.
  • Social media: Posting YouTube videos, Facebook Live posts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok videos may seem like a lot of time and effort, but it’s worth it if it puts a face on your efforts and connects with someone’s values and interests. Take the time to make sure your videos aren’t too generic – put your department’s unique spin on everything you post. You can also use these platforms to create ads for your postings as well, with even a small budget.
  • Try using FREE recruitment resources provided by National Volunteer Fire Council. You can create a free profile for your department at portal.nvfc.org. Once you register, you get access to invitations, postcards, posters, social media images and more — all of which you can customize to meet your department’s specific needs.
  • Apply for a SAFER Grant. FEMA’s SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response) Grant offers departments a great funding opportunity over multiple years for a variety of recruitment needs. You can use SAFER funds in the Recruitment & Retention category to fund recruitment marketing programs, member progression incentives, pay for PPE for new recruits and more. For details about the SAFER Grant, click here.
  • Utilize Google Ad Grants for Non-Profit programs. If your department is (or can become) qualified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, you can potentially qualify for some amazing benefits from the Google for Non-Profits program, including $10,000/month in search advertising — you can use that for recruitment, fundraising, event promotions and more. For more info, click here.

For more information on recruiting ideas, especially as it pertains to Millenials, check out this article from PowerDMS.

Even with the resources available, departments have to be increasingly creative to get and keep their volunteers, so finding ways to increase the potential pool of candidates is critical. In the video below, one department has found a way that works for them to increase the distance candidates can live from the department without sacrificing call times, and better utilize people who have limited availability due to day jobs. Check it out:

And once you have the right team in place, the next step is retaining that talent.  There are lots of ways to build an engaged, satisfied team, and it’s not necessarily a “one-size-fits-all” approach for every fire house or even every firefighter.  A few ideas we’ve seen are:

  • Be very community-involved – building a positive reputation in the community attracts new talent, as well as increases pride in the department for existing members
  • Be aware of house dynamics – someone that might have seemed like a great fit at the beginning might be creating a sore spot as time goes on – pay attention and make adjustments to ensure the team is functional
  • Create opportunities for programs to create a bridge between high school and the fire house – getting kids interested early and making them feel like a part of the family can build enthusiasm and loyalty from the beginning
  • Keep them engaged with plenty of training opportunities

For more information about retaining talent, check out this article from FireRescue1.