1. South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association
EACH ONE, REACH ONE
Volunteer Firefighter
Recruitment and Retention

2. Challenges & Expectations
How do you attract new volunteers?
How do you keep the members that you have?
Where would you like to be?
Successes?
What doesn’t work?

3. Observations and Insights
Youth programs work!
FD role awareness is low
Media alone won’t make it happen
Enough Volunteers, Wrong Mix
Community outreach is the biggest opportunity and weakest area
Professional firefighters are not professional recruiters
Recruitment & Retention are tightly linked

4. The Five Key Strategies
Revitalize a Sense of Purpose
Be Approachable & Inclusive
Compete for Discretionary Time
Assure Incentives Meet Individual Needs
Adapt Training to Fit Volunteers

5. The 9 “M’s” of Recruitment
Mindset
Map
Meet
Mentor

6. The 9 “M’s”- continued
Momentum
Messenger
Medium
Message

7. The 9 “M’s”- continued These 8 add up to make up the campaign
The final “M” is……
Measure
We must determine if what we are doing is effective

8. Support and Reinforce the Each One, Reach One program
The Strategy
The Plan
Implement
Strategic Leadership
Provide ongoing direction for the overall recruiting and retention effort for South Carolina.
Support and Reinforce the Each One, Reach One program
Sustain and grow the initial enthusiasm and accomplishments achieved through the Pilot Project
Expand the Five Core Recruitment and Retention Strategies
Develop a statewide network of skilled recruiters and leaders who collaborate to solve recruitment and retention problems at the local, regional and state level.