NYSAFC Aims to Help Fire Departments Recruit New Members

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The New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC) is undertaking a new Recruitment Marketing Assistance Project. The project is funded through FEMA’s 2010 SAFER grant program.

NYSAFC Executive Director Tom LaBelle said, "The association’s new Recruitment Marketing Assistance Project will train volunteer fire departments across New York to better interface with the media and help them conduct effective marketing activities to successfully recruit desperately needed volunteer firefighters." LaBelle also said that a related goal of the project is to help volunteer fire departments in New York develop and implement formal recruitment and marketing plans.

NYSAFC plans to conduct three regional Recruitment Marketing Assistance Project  trainings for volunteer fire departments during March and April 2012. These four-hour trainings will be free of charge and will help fire department public information officers, public relations coordinators and/or recruitment coordinators develop basic skills in both marketing and media relations. As a result of the training experience, fire departments should be able to develop formal marketing and recruitment plans. If a fire department already has these plans in place, they will be encouraged to review and revise them, as needed.

It is anticipated that as volunteer fire departments develop appropriate recruitment and marketing plans they will be better able to implement successful recruitment campaigns and harness the power of the local media.

The SAFER award will also allow NYSAFC to conduct an awareness campaign to enhance local recruitment efforts. NYSAFC is developing and producing a radio public service announcement that will air on select radio stations in the spring and summer of 2012.

For more information about the Recruitment Marketing Assistance Project, contact NYSAFC Programs Assistant Sue Syzdek at (518) 477-2631 or via e-mail. Also check future issues of SIZE UP magazine for training dates and locations.