Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services

Retention & Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges & Solutions 49
kEyS TO A SuCCESSFuL RECRuIT INFORMATIONAL SESSION:
• provide an overview of the organization;
• explain the department’s mission and “the nature of the business”;
• list opportunities;
• list requirements and expectations (training, fundraising, administrative duties, hours per month);
• hand out job descriptions (see sample);
• be honest, and tell it like it is!;
• give a tour of the station; and
• answer questions.
screening recruits
Even though most volunteers are not screened as thoroughly as career firefighters, the
changes in career tests have influenced volunteer recruit screening. Some volunteer
departments have requirements as strict as career departments. On the other hand, some
volunteer departments do no screening at all.
There needs to be a balance between having no criteria, and having standards that are so
difficult and restrictive that prospective recruits are scared away. There are many ways to
identify people who can safely perform firefighting duties and are worth the time and
effort to train. It is up to the department to find a process that is fair and balanced.
Who to accePt
When determining the types of people to recruit, department leaders should consider
the department’s culture as well as its needs. Is it a “take anyone” culture--finding tasks
for anyone who applies? Or is it a department that prefers everyone to meet the same
standards? The more narrowly focused the culture, the more difficult it will be to recruit,
but that may pay retention dividends. Most probably the ideal is somewhere in between.
Not everyone is suited to be a member of the emergency services; and yet with the various
needs of the service, many can find productive roles.
When there is a large pool of people interested in joining, the volunteer company can be
more selective. Otherwise, the department may have to broaden its criteria so that a diverse
pool of people is used to fulfill various tasks. However, even when a department has plenty
of recruits, it is important to consider whether it has the full range of necessary skills, not
just sheer members. Having a waiting list of 50 firefighters with no desire to be EMTs is
useless if the department’s primary need is EMTs.
It is recommended that departments screen prospective members carefully and not accept
everyone who applies. Having a smaller cadre of strong, mature, and committed members