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I do solemnly swear

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I had the pleasure of sharing my "Xbox Live" conversation with virtually the entire membership of the Brighton Fire District a few months ago and they revealed that they've never had a formal swearing-in ceremony for new members. No oath, no standing up in front of the group and raising your right hand. Nothing.

I told them how I've always thought that to demonstrate real brotherhood and to truly welcome a new member: have the new recruit stand up in front of the membership at their first meeting, raise their right hand and state their name — immediately after which the rest of the existing membership stands up, raises their right hand, states their names — and together the membership and their newest member(s) recite the oath of membership together. And in doing so, they rededicate themselves to the department and the people they serve.

What an awesome sight that would be. What an impression that could make on your new member.

Once in a while — an idea sticks.

My good friend, Brighton Capt. Rick Zicari just shared this photo of their entire membership reciting their new oath of membership for the very first time, together. And to top it all off, they had their Senator Joe Robach administer the oath. Truly a hallmark moment in the history of their great fire department. They get it.

Once in a while you have a chance to make a small impact. I'm confident that this was just as proud of a moment for them, as seeing this photo is for me. Thanks so much for sharing, Rick!

Do members of your volunteer fire department take an oath of membership? Do you recite the oath as individuals, or as a group as shown here? Send me a pic of your swearing in ceremony to tiger@tigerschmittendorf.com and I'll post it here.

Let me know how I can be of assistance to you and your fire department.

Stay safe. Train often.

— TigerSchmittendorf.com|FireRECRUITER.com
Author: "From the Xbox to the Box Alarm — Understanding, Motivating, Leading and Training Today's Firefighters"

View the photo: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/files/2013/10/Brighton-Swearing-in-Ceremony.jpg

Posted by on October 14, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Brotherhood, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, Public Relations, Public Relations, R&R Toolkits, R&R Toolkits, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

@FireRECRUITER: Make the Right Investments

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PD_0048The following article tells of a small city that is threatening to stop collecting a voluntary public donation that has brought thousands and thousands of dollars in mission-critical equipment to their combination (paid/volunteer) fire department. 

Apparently, the threat is in response to a dwindling number of volunteer firefighters in their department, between 5 and 10, as the article points out. Without a lot of volunteers, they apparently don’t feel it’s appropriate to collect a donation on behalf of the volunteer side of their fire department. This situation seems to be causing quite a riff in the department. 

Is it just me, or does any one else smell opportunity?

Posted by on May 24, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, Public Relations, R&R Toolkits • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

@FireRECRUITER: It’s EMS Week – Roll With It!

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AmbulanceFrom www.FireRECRUITER.com:

In honor of EMS Week-2010, I thought I’d promote the (dare I say) sexiest video I’ve ever seen come to volunteer recruitment and retention.

“Roll With It!” is a part music video, part movie trailer — full-on high energy – high impact web site for the recruitment of fire and EMS personnel.

Celebrate EMS Week in style: “Roll With It!”

Posted by on May 19, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, News, Patient Management, Public Relations • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

@FireRECRUITER: Big Win for the Youngins’

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The Volunteer and Combination Officers Section of the IAFC recently released a new and long overdue guideline focusing on the proper and safe operation of fire department youth programs.

It holds something for everyone including chief officers, youth leaders, fire department administration, parents, support liaisons and the youth themselves.

Read more at FireRecruiter.com>>>

Posted by on February 21, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, News, Public Relations, R&R Toolkits • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

@FireRECRUITER: SAFER App Period Extended

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SAFER LogoDHS has revisited the existing policy on supplanting for the 2009 SAFER funding cycle.  The Secretary has decided that DHS will consider petitions for waivers on supplanting from 2009 grantees on a case-by-case basis and under certain conditions.

In order for all potential applicants to have sufficient time to consider this revised policy guidance, DHS will extend the 2009 SAFER application period.  The new application deadline will be 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Friday, January 15, 2010.

Posted by on December 18, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, News, R&R Toolkits, R&R Toolkits, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Creating a Clearinghouse

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FireRecruiter-904x160Patience is some times not one of my better virtues. I’ve been kicking around the idea of creating an online clearinghouse of recruitment and retention resources for quite some time.

Needless to say, it’s an area of the fire service that I’m quite absorbed in but I’ve always waited for someone else to create such a thing. Sure, there’s the National Volunteer Fire Council and VolunteerFD.org, which does a more than formidable job of compiling resources for the volunteer fire service, but I still felt there was something lacking. I needed more. We need more.

I identified a gap, an opportunity to create a single source for everything related to how we market to, recruit, indoctrinate, treat and retain the single most important resource in the fire service: our people.

Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer. I registered and published: FireRECRUITER.com – a single site dedicated to ensuring the survival and success of the volunteer fire service across our nation. (more…)

Posted by on November 27, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, News, Public Relations, R&R Toolkits, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Time to get SAFER!

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SAFER LogoThis article is one in a series of toolkits focusing on recruitment, retention, fire service marketing and leadership.

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Are you SAFER than you were last year?

That is, did you submit a grant application under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response” program for recruitment and retention?

If you didn’t, you missed out on a great opportunity to better your fire department, or in our case, the entire volunteer fire service in our region.

Here’s the good news. You get another chance. DHS just announced that the application period for the 2009 SAFER grants opens November 16, 2009. (more…)

Posted by on November 1, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Funding & Staffing, News, Public Relations, R&R Toolkits, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Listen Up: Recruitment Radio

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I recently had the opportunity to tape a radio show titled: “Sound Magazine” with Carl Russo of 97Rock.

The segment focused on the recruitment of volunteer firefighters and will air on several Citadel Broadcasting affiliates in the Buffalo area.

Carl is a long-standing afternoon jock on 97Rock and is also a volunteer firefighter with the East Seneca Volunteer Fire Company in West Seneca NY. Carl isn’t just a firefighter, he’s also president of the fire company and a commissioner in the fire district.

It offered me the opportunity to talk about being a kid who “ran to the curb” whenever I heard a fire siren and all of the great things that come with being a volunteer firefighter.

This was the second installment of “Sound Magazine” that focused on volunteer recruitment and more are planned for the future.

Click here to listen to “Sound Magazine” VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER RECRUITMENTSept 09

Let me know what you think.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Posted by on September 15, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Brotherhood, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, Featured, Funding & Staffing, News, Public Relations, R&R Toolkits, Training & Development, Videos

From X-Box to the Box Alarm

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img_5855-cropAs I travel around the country talking with other firefighters, a commonly recurring theme of our chat is the future of the volunteer fire service.

The conversation always comes around to the topic of today’s firefighters and the next generation of firefighters. Some “more experienced” firefighters (notice I didn’t use the term older) share that they don’t understand the “kids” coming into the fire service today. (more…)

Posted by on June 21, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, Command & Leadership, Featured, Firefighter Safety & Health, Funding & Staffing, R&R Toolkits, Safety, Training & Development • Tagged: , ,

Part 3: Rockland County

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This article is one in a series of toolkits focusing on recruitment, retention, fire service marketing and leadership.

 

 

Earlier in our discussion of the clearinghouse approach to recruitment and retention, I outlined my theory that there are three levels of recruitment activities I’ve identified as “The Clearinghouse”; “T&E: Training and Education”; and lastly the “Trench Work.”

 

In discussing the clearinghouse concept, I stated my feelings that the role and responsibility of building awareness as to the need for volunteers falls on regional, state and federal fire service organizations or government itself.

 

So far we’ve discussed Pennsylvania’s revolutionary tactic to recruit new volunteers with www.rollwithit.com – their in-your-face movie trailer/music video targeting the next generation of first responders; and Erie County’s innovative efforts to ensure the survival and success of their 94 volunteer fire companies.

 

We’ve discussed some very creative approaches to addressing the recruitment and retention challenges of the volunteer fire service and what better way to continue this talk than to introduce you to Rockland County’s “Creative Approach to the Volunteer Fire Service” Committee. (more…)

Posted by on November 11, 2008 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, EMS Topics, Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, R&R Toolkits • Tagged: , , ,

Part 2: Samples of Success

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This article is one in a series of toolkits focusing on recruitment, retention, fire service marketing and leadership.

 

 

In Part 1 of our discussion of the clearinghouse approach to recruitment and retention, I outlined my theory that there are three levels of recruitment activities, three distinct angles of attack, if you will. I identified them as “The Clearinghouse”; “T&E: Training and Education”; and lastly the “Trench Work.”

 

In discussing the clearinghouse concept, I stated my feelings that the role and responsibility of building awareness as to the need for volunteers falls on regional, state and federal fire service organizations or government itself.

 

I introduced you to a revolutionary approach to recruiting new volunteers with www.rollwithit.com – the State of Pennsylvania’s high-tech, in-your-face movie trailer/music video targeting the next generation of EMS providers and first responders.

 

Here, I’ll introduce you to a few other successful campaigns in an effort to further demonstrate the value of attacking the R&R challenge at the highest level – the clearinghouse. (more…)

Posted by on November 11, 2008 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, EMS Topics, Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, R&R Toolkits • Tagged: , , ,

Part 1: What’s a Clearinghouse?

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In previous articles, I’ve attempted to present the fire service with real tools to use in improving their membership process and documentation including annual reports, prospective member guides and the interview process.

 

Recently, I’ve been working with a group of some 30 fire service leaders to offer solutions to the recruitment and retention challenges of their county’s fire service.

 

As part of that process, I’ve developed a three-tiered model to address what I call “recruitment and retention rescue and recovery operations.”

 

I call them “The Clearinghouse”; “T&E: Training and Education”; and lastly the “Trench Work” – where the hand-to-hand combat of recruitment and retention is won and lost.

 

For now, we’ll start to take a look at the bigger picture of recruitment and retention (R&R) problems and solutions. Here, we’ll talk about the top tier: the recruitment clearinghouse. (more…)

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Posted by on November 11, 2008 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, All Blogs, Clearinghouse, EMS Topics, Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, R&R Toolkits • Tagged: , ,
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