It’s the Little Things

5 strategies for successful volunteer recruitment & retention

Yes, this is yet another article about volunteer retention and recruitment, but this one contains ideas you can use right now that won’t cost a lot. It’s the little things that are important. Little things keep members active and happy; little things make your community love and support you.

Do you hold the assumption that sooner or later you’ll have to become an all-paid department? Get this premise out of your head! Volunteer fire/rescue services don’t have to go paid unless the leadership lets it happen. To maintain an all-volunteer service, you must 1) keep enough members available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and 2) establish a funding source to support your expenses.

Here are five ideas that Windcrest (Texas) Fire Rescue has used to maintain an all-volunteer municipal fire department for more than 36 years while all other municipal departments in our county have become all paid or part paid.

No. 1: “Served By” Signs
Most new residents have no idea which fire department serves them. If they are moving from a big city, they may not realize that they are now served by an all-volunteer fire and rescue department.

To create citizen awareness, we installed 18" x 24" street signs explaining who we are and how people can reach us. The signs, which are attached to other existing information signs at all subdivision and city entrances, also mention that we are 100 percent volunteer, and that citizens are welcome to join. Such signs are a good way to keep your logo in front of the public.

Our signs are made of high-quality aluminum with reflective printing; they cost around $60 each when purchased in bulk. We’ve used them for eight years without a problem, and they have “recruited” several new members for our department.

No. 2: Volunteer Live-in Dormitory
The volunteer live-in dormitory concept has been around since the 1800s. We first saw it used in Edinburg, Texas, where they had an open loft above the fire bay. Many volunteer live-in programs exist around the country; enter “fire department volunteer live-in programs” into a search engine for examples.

Ours is slightly different, because we were able to purchase a home behind the station, facing a cul-de-sac street. The funds were made available from sales tax revenue from the economic development corporation for the City of Windcrest. The house is less than 100 feet behind the fire station, and only seconds away for responding personnel living there.

Currently, the house features five double-occupancy bedrooms and three baths. We plan to convert the living room to a sleepover room for other personnel and guests staying on a temporary basis. We also plan to remodel the hall bath into two separate baths, using the closets on each side. The garage has been converted to an exercise room with donated weights, cardio machines and exercise machines. The patio was enclosed to form a pool table area, and the den is the “day room” for all firefighters, with couches, recliners and a large-screen TV. Parking is in the rear, off the alley. Parking in front of the home is not allowed, so the rest of the neighborhood is not disturbed.

Before we purchased the home, we held several meetings with surrounding residents. Feelings were mixed at first. Some feared a “frat house” atmosphere; others felt glad to have firefighters living so close. There have been no complaints since it opened 3 years ago.

Currently, seven full-time residents live in our dorm, including the dorm proctor. It’s co-ed, with two female members using the master bedroom with a private bath. Residents are responsible for their own food, linens and janitorial service. The city pays for lawn care, house maintenance, utilities, cable TV and Internet service.

The dorm residents work or attend college on their own schedule. They must respond to 25 percent of all calls and 40 percent of all drills to remain in the dorm. Whenever they’re home, they must make all fire calls; each resident also performs medic duty each week.

The dorm is overseen by a dorm committee comprised of senior fire department members. Potential residents are screened and interviewed prior to acceptance. Rules are acknowledged, and must be followed. We’ve removed only three residents for rule infractions over the dorm’s three-year history.

Probably the greatest benefit of the dorm: lowered response time. Our fire and rescue responses now average 2 1⁄2 minutes from alarm to arrival in the City of Windcrest, 100 percent of calls.

No. 3: Windcrest Gold Program
Next to personnel, funding is the biggest problem for a sustained all-volunteer service. You must maintain a good reputation in your response area to maintain continued funding.

Our solution: the Windcrest Gold program. Residents who donate $100 or more each year at our annual picnic become members of the Windcrest Gold. They are recognized with a gift, such as a shirt, a jacket, a door mat, an umbrella or a golf hat. We also send them a pocket calendar every November with the Windcrest Gold logo on the cover, the picnic date noted inside and a thank-you note for their support.

In 1992, the first year of the Windcrest Gold program, we recognized the 30 or 40 residents who had donated $100 or more by giving them ball caps and bandanas to wear at the picnic. The next year, we had more than 100 members. The third year there were more than 200 members. Today we maintain 450 members of the Windcrest Gold, which represents a $45,000 annual donation to the department. If you recognize the large donors, others will follow.

No. 4: Impressive Web Site
Designing and maintaining an attractive, inviting Web site is another great way to recruit new members. Web sites can appeal to two different groups of people: residents in the response area who want to see what you offer, and prospective members who seek excitement. You must appeal to both.

Inspire possible new recruits by including action shots and promoting your program. Show your most recent responses with photos and statistics, as well as activities you know your members are excited about, such as vehicle accidents, structure fires, training at burn houses and social activities. Above all, keep the site current.

There are a lot of really great Web sites out there. Most are linked to other fire-associated organizations. Some even have video clips showing responses to calls. Good examples include:

• College Park (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department (www.cpvfd.org)
• Hyattsville (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department (www.hvfd.com)
• Kentland (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department (www.kentland33.com)
• Rockville (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department (www.rvfd.org)
• San Antonio (Texas) Fire Department (www.sanantoniofire.org)

No. 5: Take-Home First Response Vehicle
Do your medics on call have to respond to the station to pick up the rescue vehicle? Does this increase your response times? Solve that problem with a take-home response vehicle.

In 2003 we purchased a PT Cruiser to be used as a personal first-response vehicle for the medic on duty. The medic takes the car home in the evening and responds from their home to all medical and fire calls. It’s equipped with lights, siren, radio, maps and the same medical equipment as the other rescue vehicles. At fire calls, it can arrive before the engine and set up command from the rescue.

Each medic must pass a driving and operation test before being allowed to use the vehicle. They sign it out for a specific time, such as 6 a.m.–6 p.m., leave their personal vehicle at the station and take the rescue vehicle home. They are allowed to use it for personal business within our response area, but must respond immediately to all calls. They understand they’re responsible for the vehicle and its equipment while it’s in their possession.

Try ’Em Out
Hopefully, some of these ideas will work for your department. I’m sure there are a lot more out there, and we would like to hear them. Please feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions. Visit our Web site, www.windcrestvfd.org, or e-mail us at wvfd@ci.windcrest.tx.us.

Tom Winn is the fire chief for the City of Windcrest, a suburb of San Antonio, Texas. He has been a volunteer for 36 years, and chief for 17 years. He completed the Executive Fire Officer Program in 2000 and has lectured at Fire-Rescue International.