Recruitment Strategies

[Cameron Yelland]

Gday,

What recruitment strategies have brigades used in the past that have worked well?

Or what strategies should the CFS use in the future?


Also is there funding available to brigades to help with recruitment?

[Pipster]

we have found attending personally, and inviting members to join has worked well.

Being a small community, we know when new people have moved in, and usually a member of the brigade will drop round, welcome them to the district, and tell them about the brigade - how the brigade can help (eg doing a burn off)etc, and  let people know that the brigade welcome new members at any time....

The invitation is put in  non-threatening, and open ended way - we don't want people avoiding us, so they don't feel they will get hassled to join each time they see us - and it is open for them to join when the are ready (which may not be right now!)

We also have a blackboard outside our station, which we use to put CFS info & messages on.

At the start of the fire season, we normally put up a notice, indicating for anyone interested in joining, now is a good time, as a new recruit course starts  soon etc etc.

Almost every year this notice has gone up, we have attracted new members.

The blackboard is outside our station, which is right next door to the local Post Office,  so people stop to get their mail (no roadside mail delivery out here!) and read our notice.

Pip

[rescue5271]

Have a open day,bring a friend along night,look at the local media...I think there is a new DVD out but I have not seen it yet.....

[Alan J]

Gday,
What recruitment strategies have brigades used in the past that have worked well?

Press gangs.

Or what strategies should the CFS use in the future?

press gangs.

cheers

[Cameron Yelland]

what is a press gang?

[Katrina]

How about looking at what is getting rid of old members? Why have they left? And I agree it is being personally asked that seems to work well with a lot of brigades

[rescue5271]

Members leave for a number of reason's and its very hard to fill that spot once they have left, You  always hear well he has left we should be able to fill the spot with new members but it is not that easy in the country we don't have 10 new members waiting to join..Some people in the service both staff and volunteer need to put their dislike for members aside and build a bridge and get on with the job of providing a service to the community..  We also need to treat new members with gloves as some are coming into a community group for the first time and may not understand our worp humour that we as emergency service workers have..... Above all the brigade needs to ensure that when a new member joins that the whole family should be made welcome I mean when the brigade has its annual dinner that the wife or husband is also invited to attend there are still brigade's out there that only let the person in the brigade attend.If it was not for the support of our family we would not be able to help serve the community...So cam,we all have to make new and old members feel welcome....

[Pipster]

Some of your recruitment strategies come down to how attractive is your brigade to new members?

If the general community thinks the brigade a bunch of "old farts" who wouldn't know the first thing about dealing with an emergency, then the brigade is unlikely to gain too many new members (although it may just attract more of the same!!)

The truth about the brigade, and the perception of the community may also be miles apart!!

As Katrina mentioned, you need to look at why members stop coming / why they leave.  It may be all external factors - eg people move for work or family reasons, some might be because of someone or something within the brigade.

The brigade needs to honestly look at the reasons for people leaving, to see if there is something they can do about it.

The VSO's can assist with a "brigade health check"  to help identify any issues.

I am aware of a brigade who had many crewing issues, lack of new members etc.  They thought they were doing OK as a brigade, it was just that the community wasn't interested in being in the CFS.

After a brigade health check, they realised that some of the issue were within the brigade.  They addressed the issues identified in the health check, and then went out to recruit members....and ended up with a number of new ones.....

I have said it before, (and I'll say it again!)  a brigade needs to be attractive to prospective members.   Identifying barriers to that, and addressing them, is a way of potentially increasing your membership

Pip

[uniden]

Gday,

What recruitment strategies have brigades used in the past that have worked well?

Or what strategies should the CFS use in the future?


Also is there funding available to brigades to help with recruitment?
[/quote

Gday,

What recruitment strategies have brigades used in the past that have worked well?

Or what strategies should the CFS use in the future?


Also is there funding available to brigades to help with recruitment?

Dont turn people away for the reaason that they are in full time MFS..lol.

[Zippy]

Wasnt camo's decision uniden as you'd know , oh well maybe things might change ey right camo?

[Cameron Yelland]

Yes that is a group issue not a brigade issue.  We had it out with the group at our last meeting about that.

If that member chooses to reapply then i would imagine he will be invited to stay due to the changing demographic of our brigade but unfortunately the group will make it hard for that member and our brigade.

But this thread isnt about my brigade.  Its about recruitment within the CFS as a whole.

[rescue5271]

I also think that CFS as a whole has to get out there and do some recruitment TV stuff,we only hear about CFS in the fire season but we all know its just more than bushfire's its about all the other things that we do.

[Zippy]

the MFS do quite a lot of yearly "make sure you check your smoke alarm" stuff on the news.   Why couldnt CFS do the same....Highlight the need for the same to occur in the Urban and Rural area's.  That would do good promotion of a **year round** structural response.

[uniden]

I thought it was up to brigades to decide who they wanted as members and who they wanted to vote in as new members after probation. Should not be up to the group at all usually.

[Cameron Yelland]

I thought it was up to brigades to decide who they wanted as members and who they wanted to vote in as new members after probation. Should not be up to the group at all usually.

It is up to the brigade but the group can make it very hard for the brigade if they dont like the members.

[Zippy]

I thought it was up to brigades to decide who they wanted as members and who they wanted to vote in as new members after probation. Should not be up to the group at all usually.

It is up to the brigade but the group can make it very hard for the brigade if they dont like the members.

sounds like High School...eh.

[rescue5271]

it's up to the brigade,but as cam has said the group can make it very hard for the brigade if they accept someone that the group does not like...I say give them ago and if it does not work out then you have a process to work through so as to remove that person..See what I mean build a bridge and get over it.....

[6739264]

The most valuable piece of advice in the world was given to me upon joining my brigade:

"You'll be fine, as long as you're not an arsehole"

Easy. Mind you, I can imagine that it is different in an urban fringe brigade with people from all walks of life and a wide range of ages/occupations, as well as a large number of crew, compared to a small town, with a handful of members and a well established boys club.

[jaff]

Too Easy!

[6739264]

Hey buddy, I never said that I was fine!

[CFS_Firey]

Seems the swearword filter is set to American spellings?  That amuses me...

[rescue5271]

Last night I was invited out to one of our rural brigade's who wanted someone to give a talk to 8 new members who wanted to join the service.This brigade 3 months ago was in real trouble and was looking at closing as it only had 4 active members.They held their AGM and new captain was voted in and that captain has been out looking for new members and now has 8...My talk was about the service but also about what CFS can do for you in the way of training and a holiday now and then to KI...Two of the new members want to go on the next KI fire so their name will be on the top of the list.

Once I had given my talk,I asked each member in turn why they wanted to join CFS and they all said to help their community,but above all one said that if her house was on fire that she would want someone to come and help put it out...Two of the new members are EX CFS and two are EX CFA who have moved into the area and have had a break for a few years and now want to rejoin....

So I guess may be now and then we need to replace those at the top and see if that brings new members,in this case it has...For those of you that dont know I have taken a big step backwards from the service but after last night I am not sure that I have done the right thing because as anyone knows I am more than happy to help in away way i can be it with my own brigade or with any other brigade that wants a hand.

I would hope that this brigade will grow and become a very active brigade that it used to be and I know with help from other with in the group that they will get there. Change is good and sure has worked....

[Katrina]

Pip and Bill have both said some things that I think is true for any organisation. It can be the way you go about recruiting, the way potential members are treated (sounds like a good idea to get you out to talk to these new ones Bill, would have made them see that an effort was being made on their behalf) Internal "stuff" can cause a lot of trouble and when it is a volunteer setup sometimes it is just not worth the hassle of having to deal with alsorts of problems. Expecially if you are made aware of them before you have even joined. I really can't see the point in spending money on advertising (and this applies for a lot of things) it really seems to be the word of mouth, making people feel welcome and being aware that it is volunteer, that people still have to work, deal with family and friends and just because maybe you live and breath for the CFS that not everyone feels the same way. Jumping all over someone because they haven't got to some call outs doesn't always work (you don't know what is happening with work and home to even know what they were up to) yes I know we might have a whinge amongst ourselves sometimes but being aware that other people do have lives is also very important

[uniden]

I wouldnt consider working you butt off in hot and smoky conditions then being asked to sleep in the middle of a the day in a tent with no shade a holiday.
Not my idea of a holiday anyway

[jaff]

After seeing one of the results of a brigade election just recently, one of the things that pissses me off no end is dinosaurs that are past their use by dates grimly hanging onto or nominating for positions, whilst denying the opportunity for the natural growth of a brigade!
Some people have to be made to realise that a coloured hat doesn't give you the respect of your fellow firefighters, The individual gets the respect by doing the smart and right thing, not his headwear!
There are probably a few firefighters reviewing their commitment, now and for the next 20 or so years to this brigade, because one person will not adopt a mentoring role or retire gracefully.
So now this brigade will not only have to continue to try to recruit heavily, but also appease those next teir leaders into staying the course and not saying stuff it.
End of rant...........for now......and no I'm not from that particular brigade.