Fire 2020

Each One Reach One™

A 2-Day Customizable Workshop for Volunteer and Combo Department Leadership

 

The economy, generational shifts, and increased training requirements have all contributed to a ‘perfect storm’ challenging the existence of volunteer fire departments across the country.

 

Each One Reach One is aimed at helping volunteer and combo departments overcome their barriers to recruitment and retention. Fire chiefs, their command officers, and leaders from their communities work as a team to learn cost-effective, innovative marketing strategies, and ways to sustain enthusiasm and commitment.

 

What We've Learned

  • General media campaigns alone have little measurable impact.


  • The most powerful recruitment involves outreach through personal relationships.


  • The new generation of recruits may have different values and incentives than Boomers and Gen Xers for becoming and continuing as volunteer firefighters.


  • Retention and recruitment are closely tied. Culture issues need to be addressed. If the culture of the department is not welcoming and inclusive, it impacts both retention and recruitment.


Workshop Structure

Each team is asked to complete a “report card” in advance of the workshop to identify what’s working and what’s not working regarding volunteer recruitment and retention.


Learning topics are: making the culture welcoming and inclusive; managing expectations vs. reality; the power of networking and personal connections; identifying new markets; recruiting ‘recruiters’ from the community, and targeted messaging.


The values and incentives of Generation Y are discussed with a panel of youth from the community. Minimal lecture and an emphasis on group discussion and participant dialogue make the learning environment highly interactive.


The teams receive a blueprint for creating an actionable recruitment and retention plan. They develop one “Smart Goal” and commit to implementing it within 30‐60 days.


Course Objectives

  • Identify the best opportunities for increasing volunteer recruitment and retention.


  • Re-energize a sense of commitment and purpose.


  • Create goals and action plans that enroll everyone’s participation and incrementally ensure success.


Participant Feedback

"Each One Reach One served as an accelerant that led many South Carolina Fire Departments to investigate deeply the root causes of problems with recruitment and retention of firefighters within our state. The program gave us an opportunity for frank and direct examination of our current limitations and provided participants with tools they could use upon returning home to immediately address their individualized needs.


I am happy to report that the process has been tremendously successful in fueling an air of excitement for recruitment that has not existed in years. It has given the Association a base line from which to rally support and allow those in need of help to move forward into new ventures of securing firefighters for their communities."


Joe Palmer, Executive Director, South Carolina Firefighters' Association


Schedule a Workshop

The workshop is conducted regionally for a maximum of 10 department teams and a minimum of 8. The regional orientation enables departments to build a network of support, share what's working and what's not, and contribute to best practices. If you would you like FIRE 20/20 to conduct Each One Reach One in your region, contact us.