volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention strategy

There is also a lot of room to shape the general public‟s view of firefighting by “branding” thevolunteer opportunity. The nature of volunteer firefighting also lends itself to such branding. Forexample, an effective brand for volunteer firefighting could convey the following: Volunteer firefighting is interesting, challenging, demanding, fulfilling and exciting – it is aunique opportunity that stands out from many others. Volunteer firefighting is not limited to Caucasian males, but is open to many other groupsincluding females, immigrant groups and Aboriginal peoples. Volunteer firefighting involved dedication and service to the community, helping improvethe safety and quality of life of the community.Some fire departments have already developed brands that they use locally. For example,Vegreville Emergency Services has used a brand of “Ordinary People Doing ExtraordinaryThings”. Other fire departments have adopted a “Public Heroes” brand.A professional communications agency should be retained to develop a provincial volunteerfirefighting brand. The brand should include visual and thematic components, including a logoand slogan that can be used in all centralized and local recruitment-related activities. Forexample, the brand could be used in: Newspaper advertising; Radio advertising; Trade show materials; News releases; Associated collateral (brochures, fact sheets, etc.)The brand would be used in centralized materials (e.g., advertising, website, etc.) Ideally,branded materials in “template” form would also be developed and produced centrally anddistributed to fire departments for local use. This would enable local fire departments to easilyuse the brand in conjunction with their local initiatives.Special branding materials tailored to First Nations audiences should also be developed,promoting the value of volunteer firefighting to those communities in culturally-appropriate ways.2. Undertake a province-wide awareness and recruitment campaign.Once a brand is developed, a province-wide awareness campaign should be implemented tobring attention to the opportunity of volunteer firefighting. The awareness campaign couldincorporate many elements.Mass Media AdvertisingMass media advertising could be coordinated centrally to appear strategically throughout theprovince. This could include: Billboards placed along major highways in rural Alberta, where there will be a verylow cost-per-exposure, as many people will see the billboard repeatedly; Advertisements through the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association; Radio spots on strategically selected radio stations that reach the target audiences;Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Strategy & ToolkitPrepared by Volunteer Alberta for the Alberta Fire Chiefs’Association26