volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention strategy

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Internal Quarterly NewsletterAn internal newsletter should be created and disseminated to volunteer fire departmentsregularly. This newsletter would serve several purposes, including providing informationabout issues affecting volunteer firefighting in Alberta; and knowledge-transfer documentsand information which aide local departments in supporting centralized public relationsactivities.Accompanying Tools:How-to Guide: Media Relations and Press ReleasesAFCA Backgrounder4. Create a central website to provide recruitment information to the public and tosupport local fire departments with tools and information.To support the recruitment and awareness campaign, a centralized Alberta volunteer firefightingwebsite should be developed. This would be a central resource that any Albertan interested infirefighting would access for more information. Elements of the awareness and recruitmentcampaign (e.g., advertising) would drive audiences to the website. The website would alsohouse centralized recruitment resources. Local fire departments could also have micro-siteswithin the central website to provide department-specific information.It is recognized that the AFCA already has a website, however in a Google search for “Albertavolunteer firefighting” the AFCA website is not on the first page of results. It is thereforerecommended that if the AFCA website is revamped as recommended, search engineoptimization be used to improve website traffic and web presence. As opposed to search enginemarketing (which uses paid means to improve website traffic), search engine optimizationinvolves altering a website‟s content and HTML coding to increase its relevance to specifickeywords (such as “firefighting” and “volunteer”). This reduces the barriers to search engineindexing activities (that is, the process by which web pages are downloaded and categorized toincrease the speed of search results). It is also recommended that Google‟s Local BusinessCenter be used to create a free listing for the AFCA website on Google Maps.The central website would also include an intranet component that is only accessible bymembers of volunteer fire departments, which could host the following resources:Provincial Equipment RepositoryIn discussions with Leon Smallboy (Fire Safety Coordinator with the First Nations (Alberta)Technical Services Advisory Group) about particular issues facing fire departments on FirstNations, it was noted that many of these fire departments lack the proper equipment (in bothquantity and quality) to be able to effectively recruit and retain firefighters and respond tocalls. It was also noted that having inordinately old equipment (especially compared toVolunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Strategy & ToolkitPrepared by Volunteer Alberta for the Alberta Fire Chiefs’Association30
municipalities) negatively affected the perceptions of the fire department among currentfirefighters and the broader community.One step in solving this problem is to create an area of the central website where Albertafire departments (both volunteer and professional) that are upgrading their equipment canpost their used equipment as available. This should allow users to indicate whether theequipment is being given away or is for sale. If the equipment is available to be donated to avolunteer fire department, an application process or selection criteria should be establishedto create equality in deciding which departments are able to access the donated equipment.Best Practises ForumAs found in the consultation and environmental scan process, many great recruitment andretention initiatives are already being undertaken by fire departments across Alberta. A bestpractises forum on the centralized website would facilitate the sharing of best practisesamong fire departments that may not communicate regularly. This forum would need to bemoderated in the form of posing questions to participants such as “what types of employerappreciation events do you have in your community?” Ideally this component would beaccessible to out-of-province Fire Chiefs as well, further facilitating the development of newideas and sharing of best practices.First Nations Fire Department NetworkConsultations about particular issues facing fire departments on First Nations found thatthere are political issues which affect mutual aide agreements. These political issues havecaused situations where neighbouring First Nations communities cannot share firefighters orequipment, even though the fire departments may be lacking either one. This issue requireswork with the federal government to remove barriers to the merging of fire departments inthe same community.One initiative the AFCA could undertake is to facilitate communication betweenneighbouring fire departments. This could be done through the centralized website bysetting up a special forum area where First Nations Fire Chiefs could communicate andcollaborate on the issues they face.Another opportunity to enhance communication and resource-sharing among First Nationscommunities is to use the Telehealth and Schoolnet videoconferencing capabilities(managed by the First Nations (Alberta) Technical Services Advisory Group) to enhance thetraining opportunities available to First Nations firefighters, especially those in remotecommunities. An approved training theory component could be conducted overvideoconferencing, giving firefighters in isolated communities the opportunity to accessinformation that previously would have taken months to co-ordinate. Conducting trainingthrough videoconference technology would also cut down on the costs to provide training toisolated communities.Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention Strategy & ToolkitPrepared by Volunteer Alberta for the Alberta Fire Chiefs’Association31
Page 1: V O L U N T E E R F I R E F I G H T
Page 5 and 6: I N T R O D U C T I O NPROJECT BACK
Page 7 and 8: OVERALL APPROACHThe strategy consis
Page 9 and 10: Becoming involved with community gr
Page 11 and 12: It was also noted that issues relat
Page 13 and 14: L O C AL I N I T I AT I V E SCONTEX
Page 15 and 16: 2. Raise local awareness through tr
Page 17 and 18: Accompanying Tools:How-to Guide: Me
Page 19 and 20: who are already involved in other c
Page 21 and 22: Emphasize personal development resu
Page 23 and 24: Tribal Councils in First Nations co
Page 25 and 26: 11. Develop a spousal support netwo
Page 27 and 28: 14. Create firefighter service reco
Page 29 and 30: C E N T R AL I Z E D I N I T I AT I
Page 31 and 32: Advertising should drive viewers, r
Page 33: women, immigrant populations, and F
Page 37: events) between regions by sending
Page 40 and 41: VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERRECRUITMENT AN
Page 43 and 44: Statement Ranking Find out more…M
Page 45 and 46: Anytown Fire Department Climate Eva
Page 47 and 48: Part TwoInstructions: In this secti
Page 49 and 50: Recruitment Campaign InformationInf
Page 51 and 52: process could be similar to that of
Page 53 and 54: checks. In interviews, immigrants n
Page 55 and 56: Tool: Firefighter Position Descript
Page 57 and 58: Tool: Volunteer Firefighter Applica
Page 59 and 60: Police Information CheckHave you ev
Page 61 and 62: CertificationsCardiopulmonary Resus
Page 63 and 64: Tool: Tips and Hints: InterviewsUse
Page 65 and 66: Tool: Sample Questions: Individual
Page 67 and 68: Tool: Sample Questions: Group Inter
Page 69 and 70: Question 14: Is there anything else
Page 71 and 72: Questions for Professional Referenc
Page 73 and 74: Tool: Letter to Unsuccessful Applic
Page 76 and 77: Tool: New Recruit Orientation Guide
Page 78 and 79: Tool: How-to Guide: MentoringUsed b
Page 80 and 81: If the department has enough firefi
Page 82 and 83: Tips & Best Practices: Volunteer Ma
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Tips & Best Practices: Using Commun
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Tool: Letter to Dignitary TemplateU
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Tool: Sample Diversity PolicyUsed b
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Tool: Volunteer Firefighting: Facts
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Tool: Letter of Thanks to Supportiv
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Ms. Jane SmithMailing Address Line
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Tool: Family Orientation GuideUsed
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Listed below are specific organizat
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Tool: How-to Create Effective Key M
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Tool: News Release TemplateUsed by:
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BACKGROUNDERMay 20, 2010Alberta vol
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Tool: How-to Guide: Media Relations
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firefighting-branded template, and
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Tool: Ideas: Public Speaking Engage
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Volunteer Fire Departments: A True
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Tool: National Fire Prevention Week
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Recommended Local Fire Hall Marketi
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Tool: Trade Show Marketing BasicsUs
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Contents of a Donor Package: In add
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Tool: Sample Donation Request Lette
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TwitterTwitter is a social networki
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Tool: Volunteer Recognition IdeasUs
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LITERATURE SOURCES6S Marketing. Can
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