Leadership Challenges In Today’s Volunteer Emergency Services Organizations Presented by: David W. Lewis Emergency Services Instructor • Emergency services educator – Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute (MFRI) – National Fire Academy – University of Maryland University College • Fire/EMS Affiliations – Odenton Volunteer Fire Co. – AA Co. Vol. Firefighters Assn. About your – Maryland State Firemen’s Assn. Facilitator – National Volunteer Fire Council – Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association David W. Lewis – IAFC/ED/IAFC/SHS – ISFSI • Contact – Email: DLewis533@comcast.net – Cell: 443-694-9113
Session Objective • Today’s volunteer emergency services leaders are challenged with a variety of very complex issues. • This session challenges you to interact with other leaders of similar organizations for an open discussion of the challenges affecting the future of the volunteer emergency services and your organization. • Leave with new ideas and best practice solutions on how to resolve your challenges and move you organization forward towards a better tomorrow. Let’s start with the question: What are the leading challenges in your organization?
Are we really that much different? RECRUITMENT And RETENTION Your FD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT POLITICS AND LEGAL LEADERSHIP HEALTH & SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS Let’s take a journey toward the future . . . . . Future FD
Being successful starts with Leadership • What is Leadership? • What is your Leadership IQ? • How do others perceive your Leadership? • Are you leading the organization or being chased by it? Does your organization have a plan for the future? • If you don’t have a plan, how do you know where the path down the yellow brick road is? • Strategic planning is a basic leadership principle – Define your service delivery requirements – Assess your organization’s capabilities – Conduct a SWOT analysis to determine gaps
Strategic planning begins with an assessment of the organization’s: - Mission - Vision - Values
Who will be your next leader? • You won’t be king forever !! • Are you working to develop your replacement? • Succession planning – Provide opportunities for leadership development – Identify opportunities for education and training – Recruit potential leaders (not every member needs to be a firefighter or EMT) Retention and Recruitment • How many people do you need? • What skills? – Operational – Administrative • Where do you find them? • What are you doing about it?
Today’s Fire Service • Today’s fire service remains largely staffed by volunteers • There are 1,160,450 firefighters from 29,727 departments • 30% (345,600) are career firefighters • 70% (814,850) are volunteer firefighters – (NFPA, 2015) Source: NFPA 2015
Trends in the Volunteer Fire Service • In the last 25 years, volunteer membership has declined by 10-15% • Increase in time demand for response, training, fundraising • Fire calls are down, EMS calls are up • Economic conditions to meet family needs • Urbanization (don’t live and work in same community, higher response needs) • Aging of the membership without influx of younger members • At same time, career firefighter numbers have increased by more than 50% • Preservation of the volunteer emergency services is needed • Cost savings to local governments exceeds $130B annually • It is not cost effective to provide career service in many communities Find the Fighter in You - PSA
What Motivates People to Volunteer? • Considering the risk involved, we have to ask why anyone would want to volunteer? – Being part of the community – Sense of achievement – New experiences and interests – Learn or develop new skills – Meeting a diverse range of people What Motivates People to Volunteer? • Considering the risk involved, we have to ask why anyone would want to volunteer? – Positive signal to employer, friends, family – Family history – Need for excitement – Personal pride and self-esteem – Altruism (concern for others)
What Motivates People to Volunteer? • Tangible benefits – Retirement and pension plans – Pay per call or per hour – Tax exemptions, credits, and deductions – Insurance and liability coverages – Educational support – Housing assistance and live-in programs – Business discounts Recruitment and Retention Challenges • Why do we lose so many volunteers? – Disappointment in department leadership – Commitments at full-time jobs – Family pressures or commitments – Excessive or meaningless training requirements – Excessive or lack of emergency response activity – Lack of recognition or rewards for positive behavior – Lack of compatibility with other members
Leading in a Multi-Generation Workplace • Traditionalists – Born 1928 – 1945 • Baby boomers – Born 1946 – 1964 • Generation “X” – Born 1965 – 1976 • Generation “Y” - Born 1977 – 1995 – The Millennials • Generation “Z” – Born since 1996
Five Generations in the Workforce • Leaders must be able to understand, communicate, motivate, train, and retain four or five different generations at the same time • Does your workplace attract a multigenerational team? Or is it primarily comprised of one generation? Why or why not? Diversity in the Workforce • Today’s fire service remains white male dominated – Female - 85,100 (7.3%) • Career 3.7% • Volunteer 8.9% – Caucasian (white) firefighters – 82% • Increases recruitment challenges to reflect the community served
NVFC Make Me A Firefighter Make Me A Firefighter: National R&R Campaign to assist departments Customizable materials Research-based messaging and tactics Interactive web site Portal.nvfc.org MakeMeAFirefighter.org
Best Practices in Retention • Many departments focus on recruitment and ignore the need for retention efforts • Without a good retention program, departments waste a lot of time, money, and resources training a revolving door of volunteers • Creating a work environment where people want to be a part of is key to successful retention and recruitment Best Practices in Retention Building a successful retention program: – Motivation as a Retention Tool – Teambuilding – Individual Recognition – Need for Fun and Family – Help With Individual Challenges
Best Practices in Retention Building a successful retention program: – Leadership role in retention – Communication – Department image – Tangible benefits – Non-operational roles Planning for future staffing needs • SAFER grant program – Identify R&R program – Hire paid employees • Transition approaches to a combination service – IAFC/VCOS Ribbon reports
IAFC/VCOS Ribbon reports • VCOS Silver Ribbon Report: Guidelines and Best Practices for a Successful Youth Fire Service Program • VCOS Orange Ribbon Report: Leading and Managing EMS in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments • VCOS White Ribbon Report : Managing the Business of the Fire Department • VCOS Red Ribbon Report: Leading the Transition in Volunteer and Combination Fire Departments • VCOS Blue Ribbon Report: Preserving and Improving the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service Managing the Finances • How much does it cost to operate a volunteer fire or EMS company? • Do you have a budget? • What are you doing to plan for future capital expenditures (apparatus, facilities, etc.)?
Where does your money come from? • Government sources ? • Community support ? – Fund raising – Donations • Grants ? • Loans ? • Money tree ? Looking for the Money Tree? • Grant opportunities – Assistance to Firefighters Grant – Fire Prevention and Safety – SAFER • Corporate grants – Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, ???? – Firehouse Subs
Taking care of people
The Way It Used To Be • No physicals for volunteers • Rough call – have a beer (no CISM) • Respond until you drop • SCBA was optional • PPE last a lifetime Looking forward • Personal health is monitored • Mental health is a concern • Cancer is a concern • PPE is cleaned regularly • SCBA is mandatory • Knowing when you’ve had enough
Behavioral and Mental Health • Serving as a volunteer firefighter or EMS provider can be emotionally exhausting – Exposure to trauma, death, injuries – Destruction of lives and property • Add personal lives to the stress – Marital/family issues – Financial issues – Job related stress • Provide a recipe for stress-related illness or disorders Fire and EMS Responder Suicides FBHA, 2017
Recognizing Mental Health Issues • Anxiety • Depression • Substance Abuse • Post-Traumatic Stress • Suicide Recognition and Support Mechanisms • Leadership needs to understand red flag behaviors • Critical incident stress programs are needed • Employee Assistance Programs should be made available • NVFC “Share the Load”
Recommend
More recommend
