From our sister site: FireRECRUITER.com

What started out as a vision for a successful joint recruitment project has morphed into a passion to connect firefighters and soldiers of all stripes.

Based on the concept that we're looking for the same people — and we are the same people, I created a joint recruitment project between our county's volunteer fire service and the NY National Guard.

If you think about Guardsmen, Soldiers and every other appropriate title given to those who serve in all the branches of the US Military, they can be ideal candidates to recruit into the volunteer fire service. They already understand discipline, respect, teamwork and the chain-of-command — and they certainly get the whole "brotherhood" thing! As many have shared about this idea, "it's a no-brainer!" 

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In his February 17th Morning Lineup features (and updated on February 20th), FireGeezer.com's Bill Schumm discusses and demonstrates the effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of using video as a recruitment tool. While his perspective on why we face the recruitment and retention challenges we do are certainly part of puzzle, the value of his commentary lies in the subliminal call to action that we need to be more creative in creating the solutions.

Certainly, a recruitment video with appropriate visuals and a good, solid message can be effective, but FireGeezer proposes that we need to do something about our culture, our society, to inspire and perpetuate volunteerism. I couldn't agree more.

As I've said before:

“Simply put, it’s my belief that the survival and success of the volunteer fire service relies on our ability to create more opportunities – for more people – to volunteer less time.

Our success depends on our ability to effectively plan for, lead and manage people; whether you don’t have enough – or you have more than you can handle.

The possibilities for their involvement are only limited by our imaginations.”
- Tiger Schmittendorf – From: "A New Pyramid Scheme for your Volunteer Fire Department"

 

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An article recently posted to FirefighterNation.com outlines the challenges faced by volunteer fire departments in Pennsylvania in recruiting and retaining their members. Although these types of articles are becoming all too frequent, this one in particular is better than most in that it focuses on the positives of being a volunteer firefighter — not all the negatives. I’ve cited many examples of what not to say if you’re actually looking to solve your R&R challenges in a previous post titled “Is this our best approach?” Too often, it seems that we hand a prospective candidate all of the reasons and excuses why they wouldn’t join on a silver platter.

I have to tip my helmet to the volunteer fire service in Pennsylvania who is no stranger to these challenges — or to innovative solutions to those challenges. I’ve previously mentioned them in “PA VFDs Dip Into Fountain of Youth” for potential solutions as well as I’ve applauded their efforts in the successful recruitment campaign: “Roll with It!” — the sexiest thing to come to volunteer recruitment I’ve ever seen. It rivals the GoArmy.com and NationalGuard.com campaigns.

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The world is changing rapidly and the fire service is getting caught up in the tornado effect of technology on our society.

More and more fire departments are smartly using web sites, e-mail and social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter to recruit new firefighters and to stay connected to their community. There isn't much you can't do with a mobile device today that took a super-computer to do less than 30 years ago.

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a conversation with a large group of fire instructors titled: "From the Xbox to the Box Alarm" for the University of Kansas Fire and Rescue Institute wherein we discussed today's and tomorrow's generation of firefighters. The conversation focused not only on the challenges in understanding, motivating, training and leading this unique cadre of individuals, but also enlightened the participants as to the tremendous potential they possess for moving our fire service forward.

And, naturally, you can't have a conversation about today's generation of firefighters without discussing the importance of technology and the impact of social networking.

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That’s right!

“From the X-Box to the Box Alarm: Motivating and Leading Today’s Firefighters” is back by popular demand at FDIC 2011. I hope to see you in Indianapolis March 22-26, 2011.  Look me up if you plan on attending and look for my presentation titled: “Understanding & Motivating Today’s Firefighters” modeled after my feature article: “From the X-Box to the Box Alarm.”

Some 300 first responders engaged in the discussion at FDIC last April and this year’s conversation promises to be refreshed with my ongoing observational research; new samples of recruitment, retention and leadership solutions and feedback from last year’s participants.

I’ll also be including fresh insight from some X-Box firefighters from Hyattsville Volunteers and FDLiveIn.com I recently spoke with about generational differences and what we can learn from and about them. Some of the information will be pre-recorded material and some of it will be provided by members of our “live studio audience.”

In case you’ve never caught my act, let me give you a little insight on my stand-up style: I don’t do presentations – I have conversations with first responders.

I’ve always said that I never learn as much as when I’m teaching. So here’s how it works:

I ask questions. You ask questions. I make you laugh. You make me laugh. Then I ask a lot more questions. We discuss the issues facing the fire service and we come up with solutions: together. And we have fun doing it. That’s pretty much how it goes. It’s a simple system, but it’s worked pretty well so far.

I bring passion, humor and insight to the discussion. You won’t be disappointed. Give me a try. You never know — We might all learn something.

But don’t take my word for it, here’s what last year’s participants had to say:

• “I enjoyed the conversation and exchange of information.”
• “Excellent program. Provided great insight on what I deal with on a daily basis.”
• “Great program. I’m a recruiter for our fire department and I learned a lot!!! Great take-home lessons.”
• “As a young person (21), it’s nice to see this kind of training to help further unify the firehouse.”
• “Great motivational speaker. Tiger hit every objective with current and accurate information. Very well versed in the topic.”
• “Fantastic presentation. Thoroughly engaging and unique insight.”
• “Bring him back!”

I’m excited and I hope you are too. I arrive in Indy on Tuesday morning and don’t leave until late Saturday night. Look me up if you’re planning on being there. I’m sure we’ll have great stories to share.

Speaking of stories, I’ll be taping episodes of my Firefighter Storytellers Internet Radio Show on the FirefighterNetcast network throughout the week and I’m sure we’ll be out and about around the town enjoying the brotherhood of the fire service.

Drop me a line at tiger@tigerschmittendorf.com or send me a direct message on Twitter @Tiger15032. I’d love to connect.

Here’s a few places I already plan to be at:

• Wednesday – March 23, 2011 – 5pm – Indy Metro FOOLS “Brotherhood Bash @FDIC” – Corner of Jackson St. & Meridian St.
  Featuring: Bagpipes and Drums, Acoustic Stew, The Don Stuck Band
• Thursday – March 24, 2011 3:30-5:15pm: Presenting “Understanding and Motivating Today’s Firefighters” – Room 105-106
• Thursday – March 24, 2011 7-11pm: “Stop Drop, Rock-n-Roll” at the Indiana Roof Ball Room to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
• Friday – March 25, 2011 – 2-3pm: “Meet the Authors” at the Fire-Rescue Magazine/FirefighterNation.com Booth #4244
• Friday – March 25, 2011 – 4-6pm: Battle of the Bands at FDIC – Lucas Oil Stadium
• Thursday – Saturday – FirefighterNetcast.com Booth – Adjacent to Booth #4244

Here’s the description and details of my classroom session from the FDIC catalog:  

Thursday, March 24, 2011
3:30 PM-5:15 PM – Room 105-106
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS  
Understanding and Motivating Today’s Firefighters
Deputy Fire Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf, Erie County (NY) Department of Emergency Services  

“From the X-Box to the Box Alarm” addresses the challenges of today’s fire service leaders in attracting and retaining the appropriate quantity and quality of firefighters they need to support the delivery of emergency services in their communities.

So, how do we motivate today’s recruits away from the X-Box long enough to answer the box alarm? This facilitated conversation builds consensus that the majority of the challenges we face are in the firehouse, not on the fire scene. Together we’ll learn to combat these challenges with solutions that are right in front of us.

Links to last year’s experiences:

• Going to the Show – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2010/04/10/going-to-the-show/
• Live from Indy – It’s Saturday Morning – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2010/04/19/saturday-morning-fdic/
• FDIC: Returning Home – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2010/04/25/fdic-returning-home/
• FirefighterNetcast – Photos on Flickr.com – http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157623799541269/
• From the X-Box to the Box Alarm – Photos on Flickr.com – http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157623912283730/

If you like this site, I hope you’ll enjoy connecting with me at: 

• www.firefighterstorytellers.com
• www.tigerschmittendorf.com
• www.runtothecurb.com
• www.firerecruiter.com
• www.twitter.com/tiger15032
• www.twitter.com/firerecruiter
• www.twitter.com/runtothecurb
• www.facebook.com/tigerschmittendorf
• www.firefighternation.com/tigerschmittendorf

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of assistance to you or your organization.

Stay safe. Train often.

See you in Indy.

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As I do with much in life, I take new experiences and new information and compare it to other aspects of my life in emergency services. Whenever it’s the least bit relevant – I try to apply it to the business I love: the fire service.

Such was the case this past week when I completed a National Fire Academy on Safety Operations and Management. I applied the process and premise of managing safety in our organizations and applied it to recruitment and retention.

While the resulting article may raise more questions than it provides answers, I hope you’ll ask yourself these same questions to assess whether or not your volunteer fire department is taking the right steps to be flush with volunteers — or needlessly flushing them and their experience away.

Click this article to read more at www.FireRECRUITER.com.

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It’s been a great, long, hot summer — causing me to take some time away from blogging to spend with my family and friends. Although I haven’t been writing much, I have been doing a lot of reading and observing. And, it’s my observation that the need for effective story telling in the fire service has never been greater.

This was never more apparent than during my observation of and interaction with recruits participating in the Firefighter 1 Boot Camp at the Erie County Emergency Services Training & Operations Center where I work.

Each day, I had the opportunity to spend time  with those 50 recruits from 37 different fire departments across our county, talking not just tactics and techniques, but about life in the fire service.

I meet more and more firefighters every day who are in full agreement that we need to revert to our roots in sharing our experiences with the folks who already are, or someday soon, will be our replacements. Compensating for a decreasing level of experience requires us to increase both the quantity and quality of the training interactions we have with our less-experienced members.

Effective story-telling is a low-cost, high-impact investment that can reward us with big returns. It’s our means of passing down our values, our traditions, our experiences — and even our legacy. It’s something we owe to our replacements — and ourselves.

Thus, I’m pleased to announce that “Firefighter Storytellers“ — my online radio talk show on the FirefighterNetcast Radio Network is returning after a one-month lay-off. I’ve got a very special guest in Wally Pieczynski, a firefighter and preservationist of fire service history.

Click here to read more about my upcoming show with Chief Walt Pieczynski on Wednesday-September 8, 2010 at 9pm EDT.

Listen in. Call in. Download and share our stories.

The question is: What’s your story?

Visit www.runtothecurb.com and tell your story there.

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It’s like “Run-to-the-Curb Radio” — but better!

“Firefighter Storytellers” is a natural outgrowth from my popular “Run to the Curb” series — as it offers a radio show designed simply to facilitate kitchen table type discussions between firefighters.

“Storytellers” is an open-format radio show in which listeners are encouraged to call in with their own stories of what brought them to the fire service, what’s made the experience memorable for them, and to share their insight as to what keeps them going day-in and day-out, serving in our business of delivering emergency services to our communities.

Tonight’s installment (Wednesday-July 14, 2010) features Chief Tim Sendelbach, fire service leader and Editor-in-Chief of FireRescue Magazine. Like many others, Tim’s roots in the fire service started with his Dad, a firefighter in his hometown of Wilder, Kentucky.

Produced by John Mitchell and Rhett Fleitz of FirefighterNetcast, visit their site now, sign up for a new user account for BlogTalkRadio, and be prepared to join in the conversation with each new show.

Listen in. Log in. Call in.

What’s your story?

• Link to the show for Wednesday-July 14, 2010 – 9pm EDT on Firefighter Netcast

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My Three-Part Risk Management Plan: Alex, Laurie and Kathleen

Despite the fact that I wrote this piece for Fire-Rescue Magazine last year, I’m pretty sure its content is still relevant as we ponder recent and not so recent events during Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/usfa-reminds-you-that….

As I stated in comments to another blog by John Mitchell (www.firedaily.com) titled: “The Charleston 43″ (http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/the-charleston-43) — if we don’t make these incidents personal to us, incidents like these have the unique ability to quickly become personal for us.

Thus, I present for your review, a re-post of “Make It Personal” http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/09/07/make-it-personal/

Let me know what you think of the piece and what you’re doing to make Safety Week 2010 personal for you.

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It’s after Memorial Day-2010 and I’ve been working on this blog for about a week, in hopes of having it finished prior to the start of the holiday weekend but life got in the way and that didn’t happen.

In retrospect, I’m glad I procrastinated. I’m glad I waited, because now, I think this blog has even more meaning.

The hot dogs are all gone, the parties and picnics are over. Now it’s time to think about what Memorial Day is really about. My goal is not to go into some patriotic tirade that offers the opportunity for readers to tune out before they even tune in, but more importantly to share with you some personal experiences that have put this annual remembrance in perspective for me.

PART 1 – DICKEY KESTER:

I had the honor, over just a few short weeks, of assisting in preparing for a special remembrance ceremony for a firefighter from my department who was killed in action in Vietnam 40 years ago. The sad part is that it has taken us 40 years to bring this fitting tribute to his grave site.

Inspired and led by Chief (Ret.) Bruce Green Jr. who recognized that this year was the fortieth anniversary of the death of Richard L. (Dickey) Kester, some of us senior members of the department decided that something needed to be done. His sacrifices were too long overlooked. Bruce took charge of mustering the rest of the fire department to do the right thing and his motion at our monthly fire department meeting was met with an enthusiastic outpouring from the membership of donations to offset the costs of the flowers that would be worn by our firefighters and laid upon the grave.

I set about having a banner created to honor him and all veterans. Without hesitation, Trace George, president of VSP Graphics graciously donated the beautiful banner that will now hang from the rafters in our firehouse. Senior Designer Mike Nachtrieb exceeded our expectations for the design.

Someone else maintained the grave site and placed the flags and fire department memorial marker that now properly identify the tomb as that of one of our own. Dan Guest from the Angola Pennysaver generously featured our pre-march announcement with a full-color photo of the commemorative banner in the Saturday edition just prior to the parade. President Geordie Sinclair and Captain Mike Relosky made sure that everyone was available to march and that our apparatus was inspection ready.

It was a tremendous team effort. The results were an even greater success.

American Flags and a fire department marker flank the grave of Evans Center Firefighter Richard L. Kester who was killed in Vietnam in 1970.

Following the traditional town-wide Memorial service in Forest Lawn Cemetery, we all hung back as everyone else proceeded back to where the annual parade started. A ten minute remembrance ceremony allowed us to pay respects to our fallen hero the way they should have been paid for the last 40 years. As a very special treat for everyone, Dickey’s mom Ruth and brother Roger were there with us. That meant a lot.

After we all laid our red and white carnations on the tombstone, I went to greet Mrs. Kester. As I walked up and just started to say “Hi Mrs. Kester. My name is…” — she interrupted me by saying “I know who you are, Tiger Schmittendorf!” We had never met, at least to my recollection, but it turns out that she was good friends with my mother. As my mother passed away when I was 13 years old and thus I few strong memories of her, this special ceremony quickly became a very special personal moment for me.

She related how one day she had sent Dickey to our house to check on my Mom as she had been in labor for three days — at home! (Could you imagine?) I smiled at the story and instantly felt a strong connection to this lovely woman, and thus to my past. She couldn’t recall which of us eight Schmittendorfs were being born at the time. I’ll have to ask my Aunt Me-me if she remembers.

Melissa Green and Heather Shean took beautiful photos for us and my wife Laurie filmed the entire ceremony on video. They captured memories that will be part of our fire company’s history and Richard Kester’s legacy for years to come. I thank them for helping us keep his story alive.

Just as important as remembering our fallen hero, we paused and took the time to acknowledge our living heros who were with us for the parade and ceremony. Firefighters Robert Corsi Jr., Bruce Green Sr., Ken Hontz and John P. Weil wore white carnations signifying their service to our country. We were glad to have them with us and pleased to give them their much appreciated and much deserved recognition.

You see, Memorial Day isn’t just about remembering those who fought and were lost, but also an opportunity to recognize those who have served and survived, many of whom still carry the horror and trauma of their service with them every day. Remembering is one of the greatest forms of brotherhood that we can ever display.

• Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157624052241095/
• Video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/4657826583/in/set-72157624052241095/
• Article: Evans Center Firefighters March In Memory of Fallen Hero

PART 2: A Veteran of Many Things

My father Earl Sr. earned Purple Heart medals in two different wars.

Memorial Day is a mixed bag of emotions of happiness and somberness for me, but regardless, it’s always special for me as it gives me a chance to remember a veteran who influenced my life tremendously. My father served in both World War II and the Korean War earning two Purple Hearts and several other medals. I wore a miniature replica of one of his medals on my fire department uniform in this year’s Memorial Day Parade and carried one of his Sergeant chevron patches in my pocket to help me remember that although he passed away five years ago, he is with me every day of my life.

I just finished writing a letter to my son Alex at the request of his English teacher wrapping up a project titled “Coming of Age” in which the students had to create a portfolio for themselves detailing significant events in their lives. In that letter, I made strong references to the influence my father made in my life and his. I reminded my son of my father’s frequent support at all of his sporting events and encouraged him to give back for the privileges and blessings he’s received by following in his grandfather’s footsteps of being recognized as a “stand-up guy.”

To keep my father’s legacy alive, I offer you this link to the article I wrote about my Dad for last year’s Veterans Day remembrance: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/11/11/a-veteran-of-many-things/. Let me know if you can relate.

PART 3: Reinventing Memorial Day

I found this series of articles to be very relevant as I’ve written very recently about my admiration for our nation’s military men and women. Fast Company is one of the few magazines I receive each month that I truly read cover-to-cover. There has not been a single edition in which I didn’t find something of relevance that I could apply to my personal and/or fire service life.

Although somewhat lengthy, these articles provide tremendous insight into how Americans have lost sight of what this special day, Memorial Day, is all about. But more importantly, the articles offer ideas as to what we can do to solve that dilemma. Interestingly enough, the author suggests we use social media as part of the solution.

These are a must read for anyone who agrees that we’ve lost touch with the true purpose of this special occasion.

• Reinventing Memorial Day – Three part series: http://www.fastcompany.com/tag/reinventing-memorial-day
  • Reinventing Memorial Day - Beyond the Mattress Blowout Sale: http://www.fastcompany.com/1650707/thinking-beyond-the-mattress-blowout-sale-reinventing-memorial-day
  • Reinventing Memorial Day – Creating Inconvenience and Relevance: http://www.fastcompany.com/1650725/reinventing-memorial-day-creating-inconvenience-and-relevance
  • Reinventing Memorial Day - Solutions for Silence and Sacrifice: http://www.fastcompany.com/1653648/reinventing-memorial-day-solutions-for-silence-and-sacrifice

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So how do these three parts make up the sum of my point for this article? They all raise a flag that we should be lowering our flags in remembrance and recognition of those who have served, those who are serving and of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving and protecting our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

There are plenty of opportunities to remember or recognize without physically or literally lowering our flag. Like many important changes we can make in our lives, it doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of money. It can be as simple as a personal pause and a more frequent thought; adding a flag to your house, your car or your desk; or one of the most effective ways to remember and recognize those who serve: When you see a veteran — Thank a veteran.

I’ll say it first. Follow my lead:

Thank you to all who serve.

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