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NYSAFC Recruitment and Retention Skills Trainings Held Statewide
NYSAFC recently completed three sessions of its Recruitment & Retention Skills: Media Relations & Human Resources Skills Training project. Classes were held from February-April 2016 in Poughkeepsie (Dutchess County), Cooperstown (Otsego County), and Hilton (Monroe County), NY. Funding for this training is provided by FEMA through the 2015 Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.
The 8-hour training features lectures by Jim Harrington, NYSAFC director and chief of the Gates Fire District, and Chief Art Hunsinger from the Clifton Park Fire Department. This class was designed to help fire service leaders develop the skills necessary to deal with some of the issues and situations that commonly arise in the fire house. Successfully dealing with these concerns improves a fire department’s reputation and helps it to be perceived as a worthwhile place to belong. This will, in turn, make residents more likely to consider volunteering and encourage them to stay involved as a department member.
During the training, participants learned the best practices for working with the media, examined ways to utilize the media as a recruitment tool, and gained practical knowledge about promoting a fire department in the local media during both emergency and non-emergency situations. In addition, the training allowed participants to explore some of the human resources issues that occur within the fire house that can affect volunteer retention, such as bullying, harassment, generational differences, and conflict resolution. Participants learned ways to deal more effectively with issues that may arise in the fire house and at the incident scene and they are now better able to build a cohesive, committed team and improve morale among their volunteer members. All participants received a free copy of copy of Effective Fire and Emergency Services Administration, a $50 value, for future reference.
Three additional training sessions are scheduled for September 17, 2016 (Saratoga County), October 1, 2016 (Erie County), and October 22, 2016 (Onondaga County). Sites will be announced soon. There is no charge to attend; however, each session is limited to 50 participants. For more information, email NYSAFC Grants Administrator Sue Syzdek, who will be providing technical assistance for the remainder of this project.
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New York State Association of Fire Chiefs www.nysfirechiefs.com |
1670 Columbia Turnpike | P.O. Box 328 East Schodack, NY 12063-0328 Phone: (800) 676-FIRE | (518) 477-2631 Fax: (518) 477-4430 |