Fire departments across the nation rely on volunteers to serve their missions, but sometimes the department membership rosters do not reflect the demographics in the communities they serve.
Many fire departments are looking to increase their diversity and expand their ranks. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), a leading non-profit membership association representing the interests and volunteer fire and EMS personnel, has found that there is a lot of interest in serving those currently underrepresented in the fire service. Research revealed that volunteers were equally interested in both men and women. Minorities showed as much, or even more, interest than whites.
Awareness is the biggest obstacle to volunteering.
According to the NVFC’s research, 79 per cent of people don’t know if their local fire station needs volunteers. The NVFC’s Make Me A Firefighter recruitment campaign aims to increase the reach of local fire departments by encouraging more volunteers. The campaign assists departments in fine-tuning their recruitment efforts to appeal more people.
“The campaign not only facilitates connections between departments and prospective volunteers, but it specifically helps departments reach under-represented groups such as minorities, women, and young adults,”Juan Bonilla is the fire chief and vice-chair of the NVFC’s recruitment and retention board.
“Anyone can be a firefighter. We come from all ages, genders, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. It is our goal to reach more of the community to increase awareness of the volunteer opportunities available,”He said.
While volunteers make up 70% of the fire service’s staff, many departments struggle to keep up with their staffing requirements. Over the past 30 year, call volume has tripled as departments respond more to emergencies such as fires, disasters, medical situations, hazardous materials, search and rescue, terrorist threats, natural catastrophes and other public services calls. Additionally, volunteers provide additional services for their communities like fire prevention and education about life safety.
Volunteer firefighters play an important role in protecting and securing American communities. The volunteer emergency services are the first line of defense for a third of the U.S. citizen population. Volunteers save $139.8 million annually for localities.
You can use Make Me A Firefighter to help you create your recruitment materials, manage your recruiting process, and place your opportunities in a national database of volunteers.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer in the fire department, please visit www.MakeMeAFirefighter.orgTo find volunteer opportunities in your local area, and to connect with a department.
“Our country relies on the dedication and service of over one million volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and rescue workers to protect our communities,” says NVFC chair Kevin D. Quinn.
“It takes commitment and dedication to be a volunteer responder, but the rewards are overwhelming. We invite all who may be interested to visit the website at www.MakeMeAFirefighter.org to learn more about the fire service, what it means to join the fire service family and what opportunities are available in your community.”
