One of the continuing threads running through the Firegeezer pages is the growing efforts of many of the volunteer departments to replenish their rosters with new members.  For whatever reason, interest in joining the fire departments and rescue squads is waning dramatically.  In some areas long-established organizations are drying up entireley.  Last month we reported on a 120-yr.-old VFD in Louisiana that was shut down permanently for lack of participation.

There are several speculative reasons tossed around as to why this is happening and we’ve touched on them before.  But what I am more interested in are the innovative ways that are being attempted to recruit new members.

This is vital for the paid departments, too, because the volunteers have long been a feeder system to develop and send recruits to the paid departments.  But the dynamics of this labor flow have changed dramatically lately.  Within the span of one generation, some areas that were covered by all or largely volunteer departments have grown to the point of needing full-time career FF’s and EMS personnel.  This is fine when it starts because the needed labor force is already there, fully trained and established within the department. 

But as the local pool of recruits runs low, then they start drawing from other areas that are still all-volunteer.  And as those enthusiastic members move on to a career in the emergency services, the active membership of the volunteer company dwindles to the point where they sometimes scratch calls.  One vol. chief told me recently that many of the people who join his all-volunteer department do so with the intention of developing their skills to prepare for application to paid departments.

Many paid departments now are requiring applicants to already possess either a FF-I or FF-II certification before they can be hired.  This has been a mixed blessing for the volunteers because it encourages people to join in order to attain the certification.  And the paid departments benefit by having a pre-screening of sorts that will present them with applicants who have already demonstrated a desire and the competency to successfully make it through the department’s recruit training program.

But this cultural glitch has arisen that has kept potential candidates from even considering  Fire and EMS as worthwhile career - or community volunteer - endeavors.  And that brings us back to square one.

Firegeezer is looking for a correspondent who is willing to keep an eye out for these various programs that are being tried to find new members for the VFD’s and ambulance squads.  If you are involved in such a program or are interested in following it, and you would like to help keep our readers informed of the success of these endeavors, please write to us at:  geezerguys (at) yahoo (dot) com and let us know.

Now let’s get the equipment checked out.  I’m ready for some coffee.

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