The most common question asked through VolunteerFD.org actually comes from the public, and it is simply, “How do I join my local fire department?” The second most popular question is “How do I help my local department?”. These two questions go to show that we need to educate our public and get them involved.
Too often we hear there is a ‘shortage’ of willing volunteers, but I wonder if part of the ‘shortage’ is a lack of communication. In the ‘old days’ most departments had a waiting list, and everyone wanted to join. I agree that the service has changed, and the demands are more, but that does not explain everything when it comes to the ‘shortage’. I think the foundation of the shortage is that we are still trying to recruit members in the same ways as we did 50 years ago.
50 years ago most departments were made up of a few ‘key’ families, and their contacts. It was a small tight knit group, and there was an expectation that each subsequent generation would join and keep the ranks strong. The problem is that nowadays the next generation grows up and moves out, and may not stay in the same community. This takes a departments’ funnel of potential members and dries it out.
There needs to be a paradigm shift in both our thoughts and actions when it comes to recruitment. When we look at the basics, we need to have a way for potential members to get in touch with the appropriate department representative. This means a phone number with an answering machine or voicemail, and/or an email address. The next step is to make sure that any messages are returned promptly.
The real shift comes in finding a way for people to help without becoming ‘full firefighters’. There are many people who want to help, but may not want to fight fires. By designing a good support structure, your active firefighters will be able to focus on fighting fires, and not worry about the ancillary issues. The old school way is that there are firefighters, and a ladies auxiliary. I challenge each department to revamp their classifications and be more flexible.
Of course the core will always be made up of ‘active firefighters’. When I say active firefighters, I am talking about the true interior structure firefighters. These are the men and women who put the wet stuff on the red stuff, and put their lives on the line. Ideally we would like to have all of our members being active firefighters, but this is not realistic.
The next group I see is a class of ‘exterior firefighters’. Exterior firefighters serve as support personnel on scene, and do everything the interior firefighters do except go into structures. Exterior firefighters need to have just as much training as interior firefighters and need to meet the same physical standards. Many people think that exterior firefighters do less work then interior firefighters, but they are flat out wrong. Exterior firefighters end up doing more running around, and often do not receive rehab or even a break. Having a class of exterior firefighters is useful for those who would like to help but do not like the danger.
The exterior firefighter class can be further broken down into specific job functions. By setting up separate classes of exterior firefighters you can adjust the training and physical requirements to fit the class. In my article on OSHA regulations I spoke about having ‘drivers only’ as a class of firefighters. OSHA not only allows you to set up a class of drivers, but encourages it. This is a great class to ‘retire’ our more gray-haired firefighters to as they physical requirements of interior firefighting overwhelm them. Another option is enlisting members of your public to become drivers. Many members of the public already have their CDL or the like and enlisting them can free up your active members to actually put the wet stuff on the red stuff. The other important benefit is that your truck will actually be able to get out of the barn. There is nothing worse then having a crew, but no one to drive the apparatus, after all without the apparatus there is nothing we can do.
The next overlooked class is a group of ‘fire police’. Fire police can not only help your department but save your life. Most states have legislation specifically for fire police defining their rights and duties. These are not guys carrying around guns, but their help with traffic, crowd control, and the public is priceless. Too many firefighters and police die each year by being struck by a vehicle. Fire police are specifically trained to handle traffic and the public. I had the pleasure of sitting in on a training session for fire police and it amazed me the amount of thought and work that has to go into setting up a traffic pattern. Not only do fire police allow you to focus on the work at hand, but their experience and training will help to make the scene safer for both you and the public at large.
One of the classes most departments has is an ‘EMS only’ class. EMS only makes good sense, even if your primary job is not EMS. People think of the EMS staff as the ones running the ambulance, but they are also needed for the firefighters. Use your EMS staff appropriately for rehabilitation, baseline vitals, and assessment of your staff. Having medically trained personnel on scene for training and calls can make the difference between life and death, literally.
The last class of on scene personnel deals with our mental and spiritual help. Having a classification for a Chaplin or other mental health personnel will help both the public and your members. A good friend of mine, Bud Paine, runs the Chaplain Corps website. (http://www.chaplaincorps.org) Visit his site and read about what it takes to be a Chaplain and how they can help. One of the more amazing things I heard of lately was forming a ‘grief team’. The grief team is a group of professional and lay people who respond when there is a fatal or a DOA. Their job is to help both the family and responders. They are trained to help families with arrangements and be there with them until they can get professional help. We are not trained as social workers, but a grief team can help bridge the gap and make a lifelong impression on families throughout your community.
Finally, you should have a class of ‘social members’ for those who do not want to have fire ground duties. Social members can help to take the burden off of your active members and handle the fundraising and social duties that keep the lights on. It may be as simple as bringing refreshments to the scene, but what is better then coffee at 3am?
By setting up different membership classes within your department you will be able to work around the ‘shortage’ and maximize each members’ commitment. When people complain about the firehouse it is never about the structure fires, it is always the pancake breakfasts and rolling hose. There are members of the public who would love to flip pancakes and roll hose we just need to be ready to bring them in.