Talk the Talk: Tips for Successful Recruitment Abington Township Fire Department

Always Be Prepared to Recruit Who knows where the next firefighter will be: sitting next to you in a restaurant, in line behind you at the grocery store, anywhere Be prepared to give accurate, new, and exciting information about available volunteer opportunities Engage in eye contact. It is harder for someone to walk away from you if you are looking at them directly in the eye

Keep it Attractive Keep food and drinks out of sight in your booth Throw your trash away! – No one wants to look at your half-eaten pizza Stand up when you see people walking by – If people see you busy eating, they are going to feel like they are bothering you

Face Front Who wants to talk to your backside? I sure wouldn’t – When at an event, face forward, even when talking to your co- recruiters – When people see your face while engaging in conversation, they are more inclined to talk to you!

Stick to the Nuts and Bolts Prospective volunteers want the nuts and bolts of what are the expectations as a member of the Abington Township Fire Department the hours the training the support …that is what they want to hear!

Match and Mimic Get on the level of the person you are speaking with – If they seem to speak slower, speak slower People feel more comfortable when they can relate to someone similar to them – For example, if they have a lot of enthusiasm and sound excited…be enthusiastic. Make them feel your excitement!

Emotional Appeal When recruiting, people want to know how volunteering will make them feel Tell personal stories that are relatable to the average person

Get Contact Information Even after you speak with someone about volunteering, don’t forget to ask them for their contact information Have a sign up sheet readily available at your booth and even if someone shows the slightest interest, get their information

TALKING POINTS

Icebreakers 1.Have you ever considered being a volunteer firefighter? 2.Are you interested in helping out the community?

Volunteer Opportunities Firefighting Operations: Advance Hose Line, Forcible Entry, Search and Rescue, Ladder Placement Rescue Operations : Respond to Specialized Calls like Auto Accidents, Carbon Monoxide Alarms, and Rescue Calls Fire Police : Public Safety, Crowd and Traffic Control Support Personnel : There are many positions to be filled within the fire companies, whether you are an active firefighter, intend to help around the station, or serve as a member of the administration.

Volunteer Opportunities (continued) If you sense a person is hesitant about volunteering because they don’t want to run into burning buildings, inform them that they can STILL help! Talk about the administrative positions available and the many other opportunities to help around the station. Make it known that there is a job for EVERYONE!

Joining an Extended Family Remind people it’s not all about the work – tell them about the social benefits too ATFD isn’t just a group of firefighters, it’s an “extended family” Prideful of being a family-oriented, tight-knight, diverse fire department

Q&A Turn apprehensions into opportunities! Here are some responses to say to people who are unsure if firefighting is right for them:

Q&A What they might say: “I don’t have any experience” How you can turn it around: No experience is necessary! We provide firefighting gear and training for free

Q&A What they might say: “I don’t think I’d be cut out for firefighting” OR “That’s too dangerous for me” How you can turn it around: There are many other jobs in the fire department that don’t involve fighting fires like helping at community events, working at our stations, and more

Q&A What they might say: “I’m very busy” OR “How much of my time will this require” How you can turn it around: As a volunteer, you are only asked to give as much time as you can. Each fire company has a policy regarding attendance and minimum requirements for membership

TYPES OF CANDIDATES

Greet the person. Look them in the eye. Don’t just throw them a brochure Statistics show you have 4 seconds from the time someone looks at your booth and walks away. Talk about your own experiences in the fire department, Engage the person in a conversation! Types of Candidates: The One Who Ignores You

Let them ask YOU questions Answer them to the best of your ability and get them to sign up while they are still super excited Types of Candidates: The Eager Beaver

Why did YOU become a volunteer firefighter?  Your reason could be the same as theirs Types of Candidates: The Indifferent These candidates are indifferent about volunteering so now you have 30 seconds to convince them

Role Play: Let’s try! Get into partners. Person A is the volunteer firefighter watching his or her son at his basketball game. Person B is another parent sitting next to Person A. The two engage in small talk. Person A…you have thirty seconds to sell your case to Person B and convince them to sign up to be a volunteer firefighter.

Role Play: At the Booth How would you approach talking to the one who ignores you? – The Eager Beaver? – The Indifferent? Try each of these and use techniques to sell your case to these three types of people

Questions Do you have questions? Are there any ideas you have or any more suggestions you have to make recruitment a more positive and successful experience? Share your thoughts!