2021 ANNUAL REPORT

65

VOLUNTEER FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES

Volunteer Recruitment

The Division of Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services and the Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association continues to provide a centralized recruitment effort, which supports the twenty-five volunteer corporations. During the 2021 campaign, Frederick County companies gained over 171 new operational, social, and administrative members. All volunteers serve an important role by assisting with incident response, managing operations, running intradepartmental affairs, and fundraising efforts to help pay for expenses such as fire stations, apparatus, and basic needs. All of which are necessary to provide high-quality fire, rescue and emergency medical service to the citizens and visitors of Frederick County and our mutual aid neighbors. Frederick County fire and rescue companies have varying levels of active membership. Some continue to operate with an all-volunteer membership while others have taken on a combination service model with career personnel assigned to help sustain a consistent operational response. There are many suspected reasons for this transition. Many households require multiple incomes to maintain financial livelihood. Increases in training hours, time committed on incidents, numbers of responses and outside elements such as family commitments have played a major role in volunteer fire department sustainability threatening our historically volunteer system. The Division of Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services and its 25 member companies recognize the need to bolster membership levels. Recruitment efforts are conducted using direct mail flyers, mass media advertising (radio/television) and through attendance at many community events such as Fairs, Open Houses school events. In an effort to ease the intake process for new members, the Division scheduled 10 new member classes but only provided eight new member “Gear Up” orientation classes due to the ongoing pandemic. These trainings provide the member with information such as how to sign up for classes, CPR certification, personal protective clothing, fire department orientation, breathing apparatus, LOSAP, HIPAA, code of conduct and harassment. Participant evaluations have proven that the program provides a valued introduction and overview for the newly inducted volunteer.

The Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services recruitment campaign continues to raise awareness and encourages new volunteers to “Gear Up.” Through many different media outlets, we continue to spread the message that volunteers are valued and needed more today than ever in our emergency service. Please visit us on the web at www.GearUpFireRescue.com.

Recruitment and Retention continues to be a challenge due to the ongoing pandemic and community demands for service. This year we partnered with the Frederick County Public Schools Work Based Learning Internship Program to provide additional training opportunities. As we move into the new year, our goal is to ensure effective leadership development through training and mentoring of new volunteer members. Ensuring and developing participation incentives tailored to the next generation of volunteer Firefighter/Emergency Medical Responders.