I had the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) new guide, “Retention & Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges & Solutions,” sitting on my desktop for some time before getting around to reading it.
And, after taking in all 214 pages, I regretted that I had waited so long. I have to admit that part of my joy in reading the document was that it reinforces what I have already written about recruitment.
Within the guide, produced in conjunction with the US Fire Academy, the results of a nationwide survey on the leading reasons why people stop volunteering can be found. When people were asked what made them leave their organization, the top answers were:
- No time to volunteer: 92.3%
- Conflicts in Organization: 47.8%
- Organizational leadership created an adverse atmosphere: 46.7%
- Too much training: 45.6%
- Attitude of existing personnel to newcomers: 39.1%
- Criticism received from officers/older member: 38.0%
- Lack of camaraderie: 19.5%
You will notice that the percentages do not add up, and that is because members who were surveyed were allowed to indicate more than one reason for leaving the organization. Until someone creates a time machine, departments will never be able to add more time. With that said, the things departments can control are conflicts in the organization, leadership, training, attitudes, criticism and camaraderie.
The NVFC provides some guidance as to how to address these problems, especially the conflict and leadership issues, both of which are the cornerstone of problems in departments throughout the U.S.
The guidance includes: “Disagreements Among Departmental Leaders — When disagreements between departmental leaders (either officers or administrative officers) develop, the membership may become disillusioned. When the disagreement becomes personal or is not resolved quickly, the resulting tension drives members out. Unfortunately in many departments, power politics arise. Generally, the major concern is who will be the “boss,” and make major decisions. Egos get in the way of the purpose of the organization and providing the best emergency services for the community.”
While departments have always had good and bad times, many have been on a continual downslide over the past few years. In many circumstances, the membership itself has not changed much, with many of the same faces being here for the past 20, 30 or even 40 years. While members all may have different time commitments from when they first joined, I cannot accept that anyone has lost their will to volunteer or forgotten why they joined.
The problem has been that the leadership and conflicts within the department have driven members out.
The NVFC has this to say: “Many members have been driven out by problems with their chief or officer’s management style. As a result of this and other changes in workplace management philosophies, there has been a striking move in volunteer fire departments across the nation toward participatory management. Of serving volunteers, 58% are between the age of 30 and 49 and another 18% are older. These people are no longer “kids,” and many are managers in their own right. They have a lot to offer and must be used effectively, or they will be lost. Volunteers do not want to work for a chief who is viewed as an inflexible dictator. Volunteers want to be proud of their organization and comfortable with it. They do not want a lot of grief while serving. The leadership skill of the chief is the most important factor in recruitment and retention. The chief ‘s personality and competence in communications, personnel relations, and human resource management are vital. The chief is therefore critical to successful recruitment and retention.”
The NVFC has hit the nail on the head. Volunteers now need to fight for the right to volunteer. Rather then being understanding of members’ needs and situations, departments continue to put more and more demands on them. While I agree that departments need to maintain the best trained force they can have, maybe it is time to meet our members halfway, and work on balancing requirements.
Rather then telling your members they have to do X,Y and Z, it should be explained exactly WHY they need to do it, backed up with the appropriate documentation and alternatives. This includes allowing members to meet proficiency requirements by alternative methods and choosing their level of involvement. That level of involvement may include creating different classes of firefighters, to allow members to volunteer the time and skills they have as appropriate.
So, with the issues identified, the next problem becomes finding solutions. The NVFC guide has a lot of detail about options, but I want to provide my own twist on it. I do not propose that these ideas will solve your department’s problems overnight, but here are a few ideas:
- Check our egos at the door. I am willing to admit that even I need to do this, as do most members, but it goes doubly for all fire department officers. Officers need to be appropriate role models, and should be willing to lead. This includes taking the first step to leave their ego and personal feelings at the door. We do not all have to like each other, but we do have to work together. It is OK not to like someone outside of the department, but it is not OK to put them down within the department, to other members, or to put their ideas down just because of who they are.
- Improve communication. This means more then just giving ideas lip service; it requires actively listening to your members and trying to find common ground. Everything should be on the table. That means if there is an issue, all sides should be discussed to develop a consensus. When there is difficulty in deciding an issue, it should be supported by outside documentation, laws, regulations, or appropriate support.
- Revise your membership classes and requirements. Departments need to be flexible and allow members to make whatever commitment they can. It is important to respect our members’ time and appreciate what they can give. If this means allowing people to be EMS only, driver only, support only, or reserve member, then it should be allowed. The OSHA allows for differing job duties and training requirements, and it is a way to get the job done. Departments may want everyone to be a “full” active firefighter, but that is not realistic anymore.
- Seek opinions from inside and outside your department. The recruitment and retention problem is not only an issue at your department; it may come to a head in your department, but others are dealing with the same concerns. I encourage every member to put their pen to paper and put down their problems and solutions in writing. Every member should then challenge their leadership to implement the challenges in a timely fashion. Don’t forget to check VolunteerFD.org and FireRescue1.com for possible solutions.
- Your board of commissioners or directors should take an active role in membership recruitment and retention. Most employers conduct an exit interview when an employee leaves. Maybe it would be a good thing for your board to interview every member before they change classes, go inactive, or disappear. It will enable the board to proactively address issues and bring members back to the fold. They might also arrange periodical meetings with members who have been inactive for a while to look for ways to reengage them.
No matter what the status of your department’s membership is, the NVFC’s guide is a must-read. For more ideas or examples of how recruitment and retention programs have been put to use in departments across the US, check out VolunteerFD.org’s section on recruitment and retention.
The time to take action is now rather then at the point of no return. I was told early in my fire career that there are two points at which you can put a fire out with just one bucket of water: just as it starts and just as it ends. Recruitment and retention is a burning issue in every department. You can either put it out now or wait till the end, but if you want to keep your organization functioning, the time is now.
To order a free copy of the report from the U.S. Fire Administration, go to www.usfa.fema.gov
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