Indianapolis, Indiana, May 5, 2020 -- Does your fire department need more volunteers? Would your department like more community support and visibility? Can your volunteer or combination fire department use assistance with its recruitment and retention efforts?
The Indiana Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) is selecting ten departments to participate in Phase I of the Volunteer Workforce Solutions (VWS) program, which provides research on your jurisdiction, combined with turnkey marketing solutions, to enhance volunteer fire department staffing. In addition, there will be a statewide media campaign and trainings available to all departments in Indiana. VWS benefits include:
- Leadership support through the development and/or delivery of training and tools focused on the needs of volunteer and combination departments
- Recruitment and retention support, including development of unique recruitment strategies based on the features and characteristics of the community
- Department review to identify issues and challenges influencing the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters
- Strategic planning to increase departments’ visibility, viability and community support
- Customized printed recruitment materials and multimedia support
- GIS Tapestry reports to enhance the marketing and recruiting strategies of departments
All support is provided free of cost to departments; the program is funded by the FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. If you currently have another SAFER grant, you may still be eligible.
Informational webinars about the program and the application/selection process will be held on Thursday, May 14, at 7 PM (ET) and Monday, May 18 at 7 PM (ET). You can register in advance for these free webinars by visiting the program’s website, www.VolunteerFireIN.org.
For more information, please visit www.VolunteerFireIN.org.
Applications are due Friday, May 29, 2020.
Please contact Shakir Mohammed, IAFC Program Manager, at 703-537-4841, or Megan Thiele, IFCA SAFER Grant Coordinator, at 317-371-5259, with questions.
About the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA)
The Indiana Fire Chiefs Association promotes excellence in the fire and emergency services by providing a forum for networking, information sharing, cooperative opportunities, and a unified voice for our diverse membership and partners through educational, legislative and technical means. More information about the IFCA is located at indfirechiefs.org.
About Volunteer Workforce Solutions
The Indiana Fire Chiefs Association was awarded a SAFER recruitment and retention grant in 2019 to identify recruitment and retention goals, strategies and marketing methodologies that would benefit not only participating departments, but all fire departments in the state. The program will combine traditional recruiting methodologies with geographic information system (GIS) based methodologies. The VWS program is also operating in Virginia through the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association and North Carolina through the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs. There is also currently a National VWS effort focusing on diversity and new trainings. More on information about IFCA VWS can be found at www.VolunteerFireIN.org