Incentives for volunteers

[FFPCogs 863]

At the risk of starting a debate of which there really is no winner, I have started this post to gather what I hope will be some useful information. I am a fervent supporter of incentives as a means of attracting and keeping members, and anyone who is even slightly familiar with the issues plaguing Stamford will know that a general lack of members is one of the major ones facing our VFDs overall. So in an effort to become more familiar with incentives in general and there impact in particular I would ask you to answer a few basic questions regarding them. These being:

1) Does your City/ Town /District offer incentives to it's volunteer firefighters? If not no need to go on.

2) If so, what incentives do you recieve?

3) If so, how long have they been in place?

3) If so, have these incentives proven useful in?

a) Recruitment

b)Retention

4) If yes to #3, how long was it after implementation before the positive effect was realized for each?

5) If no to #3, why do you think they have not proven successful? Please be as brief as possible.

And finally since I and others here are in the process of developing a proposal regarding incentives,

6) Would you be willing to provide me contact info to assist us in that development?

Thanks for the help all.

Cogs

Edited August 30, 2009 by FFPCogs

[JFLYNN 681]

At the risk of starting a debate of which there really is no winner, I have started this post to gather what I hope will be some useful information. I am a fervent supporter of incentives as a means of attracting and keeping members, and anyone who is even slightly familiar with the issues plaguing Stamford will know that a general lack of members is one of the major ones facing our VFDs overall. So in an effort to become more familiar with incentives in general and there impact in particular I would ask you to answer a few basic questions regarding them. These being:

1) Does your City/ Town /District offer incentives to it's volunteer firefighters? If not no need to go on.

2) If so, what incentives do you recieve?

3) If so, how long have they been in place?

3) If so, have these incentives proven useful in?

a) Recruitment

b)Retention

4) If yes to #3, how long was it after implementation before the positive effect was realized for each?

5) If no to #3, why do you think they have not proven successful? Please be as brief as possible.

And finally since I and others here are in the process of developing a proposal regarding incentives,

6) Would you be willing to provide me contact info to assist us in that development?

Thanks for the help all.

Cogs

I live in a community served by a volunteer department. As a taxpayer, I am totally against ANY incentives. I don't believe that they are effective in improving fire protection at all. However, if the incentives offered were great enough, maybe I would join my local department, (really!), however, I won't be a hypocrite and call myself a "volunteer", I will explain to people that it is my part time job...

[FFPCogs 863]

I live in a community served by a volunteer department. As a taxpayer, I am totally against ANY incentives. I don't believe that they are effective in improving fire protection at all. However, if the incentives offered were great enough, maybe I would join my local department, (really!), however, I won't be a hypocrite and call myself a "volunteer", I will explain to people that it is my part time job...

Chief you are of course entitled to your opinion, but in the world of today incentives are becoming a necessity it would seem. I should clarify one point here in which I truly do agree with you..I am actually against incentives as well even though I support the idea of using them to recruit and retain members. That may seem incompatible and be that as it may, but I realize that what motivates me and many who came before me to volunteer does not seem to be as prevelant today as it once was. Therefore to maintain an adequate pool of trained and available personnel another motivator must be found. In my experience incentives are that motivator, but to be fair my experience is limited on such matters, hence this thread.

If I were to recieve an incentive and by doing so I were to become a part time firefighter well then so be it. Semantics aside, offering incentives is simply doing what must be done to help ensure public safety within the financial means of many communities.

Cogs

Edited August 31, 2009 by FFPCogs

[ny10570 745]

I've found incentives may get someone in the door, but they're not enough to make anyone stay and do even less to make someone an active member. No depts incentives are enough to compensate you for the time you lose or are enough to have a significant impact on your wallet. People who want to volunteer are going to volunteer with or without the incentives. The money would be better spent on the facilities to encourage members to spend more time, train more, and just be more active.

[Remember585 815]

For the most part, most of the incentives offered seem to do more damage then good. Guys are skating by, racking up their points to qualify for the LOSAP system, yet they don't answer calls, make any drills or are of any REAL use when you need it.

Every GOOD member I know, in my own and all the other departments I have friends in, do it out of the love they have for doing it. We have talked about it over and over again, and it seems that the harder we try to get people, the less the chances are that they'll be a true benefit. Those that want to do it for the RIGHT REASONS will come knocking on your door when they're ready to make the commitment.

JFLYNN - I have applications and contact info for you when you're ready to join somewhere. Just shoot me a PM and I will help you out!

[KRF178 49]

For the most part, most of the incentives offered seem to do more damage then good. Guys are skating by, racking up their points to qualify for the LOSAP system, yet they don't answer calls, make any drills or are of any REAL use when you need it.

Every GOOD member I know, in my own and all the other departments I have friends in, do it out of the love they have for doing it. We have talked about it over and over again, and it seems that the harder we try to get people, the less the chances are that they'll be a true benefit. Those that want to do it for the RIGHT REASONS will come knocking on your door when they're ready to make the commitment.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Most of the people that are reaping the benefits are the "when I was a fireman" types. Any of the new guys/girls that join really don't care about the $200 that they might get if they stick around until they're 62, they want to do it. Personally I have never had anyone come to me and say "I want to join because I hear there is a great service awards program." To be eligible a member should have to make a certain amount of training, alarms, or anything else that is going to help the active side of the organization before they can recieve points in any other category. It's funny that I talked to two people this weekend that were interested in joining and neither one so much as batted an eye at the mention of the LOSAP. Not that I mention it as a "dealbreaker" but more to see what the average person's reaction is to it, and it's always the same.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Our department has a LOSAP (Length of Service Awards Program) that after like 20 years (I think?) of ACTIVE service (certain amounts of calls, cleanups and drills) gives you a tax abatement that lowers your town property taxes after a certain time of service with requirements. I'm too young to worry about how that works right now, but we have it.

[JM15 386]

Remember585 hit it on the head... Do you really want members that are only coming around for the "incentives"? The good members are the ones who love doing it just for the passion of it, and not only coming around in December to make the quotas..

[gamewell45 258]

Remember585 hit it on the head... Do you really want members that are only coming around for the "incentives"? The good members are the ones who love doing it just for the passion of it, and not only coming around in December to make the quotas..

Like it or not there are members who, by their own admission joined up strictly because of the benefits received (LOSAP, Medical, Free town Rec passes, etc). That was the purpose of the laws passed by Albany; and in some departments its working well. In others, maybe not so much but as an alternative to hiring a full time force of firefighters, its an acceptable method of maintaining certain levels of volunteers (aka "under compensated firefighters").

I know there are some volunteers and paid (aka "properly compensated fire fighters") on this board who are opposed to the LOSAP program; the paid firefighters is a given, but let me ask all those volunteers who are opposed to LOSAP; if you are opposed to LOSAP, no one is forcing you to accept enrollment into the program. How many of you publicly trash the program but yet are willing to accept payment when you hit age 62? If you do, your are nothing more then a hypocrite. If you don't, then I salute you for standing by your principals.

The fire service continues to evolve, both technology-wise and business-wise, whether you or I like it or not so its high time to embrace the changes that are occurring.

Edited August 31, 2009 by gamewell45

[FFPCogs 863]

Like it or not there are members who, by their own admission joined up strictly because of the benefits received (LOSAP, Medical, Free town Rec passes, etc). That was the purpose of the laws passed by Albany; and in some departments its working well. In others, maybe not so much but as an alternative to hiring a full time force of firefighters, its an acceptable method of maintaining certain levels of volunteers (aka "under compensated firefighters").

I know there are some volunteers and paid (aka "properly compensated fire fighters") on this board who are opposed to the LOSAP program; the paid firefighters is a given, but let me ask all those volunteers who are opposed to LOSAP; if you are opposed to LOSAP, no one is forcing you to accept enrollment into the program. How many of you publicly trash the program but yet are willing to accept payment when you hit age 62? If you do, your are nothing more then a hypocrite. If you don't, then I salute you for standing by your principals.

The fire service continues to evolve, both technology-wise and business-wise, whether you or I like it so its high time to embrace the changes that are occurring.

Now THAT is hitting the nail right on the head.

Thanks Game.

Thanks to all who have replied but does anyone have any answers to the questions besides #5? I understand that the popularity of incentives is subjective and I can fully appreciate people's opinions, but any assistance would be a great help.

Cogs

Edited August 31, 2009 by FFPCogs

[helicopper 1,050]

Like it or not there are members who, by their own admission joined up strictly because of the benefits received (LOSAP, Medical, Free town Rec passes, etc). That was the purpose of the laws passed by Albany; and in some departments its working well. In others, maybe not so much but as an alternative to hiring a full time force of firefighters, its an acceptable method of maintaining certain levels of volunteers (aka "under compensated firefighters").

If there are FD's that have experienced increased recruitment and retention as a result of incentives/benefits can you tell everyone who they are so they can be contacted for some pointers?

Most of the FD's I'm aware of are suffering through declining membership with or without LOSAP or other incentives.