AGENDA DATE: 10/7/2015
TITLE:
Title
Volunteer Health and Welfare Report - 2015
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Annual Report of the Volunteer Fire and EMS System to the Board of Supervisors by the Fire and EMS (FEMS) Board and Albemarle County Fire Rescue
ITEM TYPE: Regular Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Dan Eggleston, Tom LaBelle
PRESENTER (S): Tom LaBelle
LEGAL REVIEW: No
REVIEWED BY: Thomas C. Foley
BACKGROUND: Albemarle County Code § 6-107 sets forth certain specific responsibilities of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) Board. One responsibility of the FEMS Board is to “…report at least annually to the board of supervisors regarding the health and welfare of the volunteer system.” Accordingly, FEMS Board members and County staff have worked collaboratively to prepare the 2015 Report on the Health and Welfare of the Volunteer Fire and EMS System.
STRATEGIC PLAN: This information aligns with efforts outlined in Goal 7: Operational Capacity. To help ensure the services currently provided to existing residence in both rural and development areas are available in the future, a vibrant volunteer emergency provider base is necessary.
DISCUSSION: The 2015 report focuses on goals set in the 2014 report. Accordingly, the Fire and EMS (FEMS) Board and the Health and Wellness Report Committee both indicated that previous attempts at recruiting had focused on volunteering for the Albemarle County Fire Rescue (ACFR) System as a whole. The 2014 report outlined two specific strategies; 1- All volunteerism is local; and 2- A focus on pathways.
All volunteerism is local means that ACFR’s marketing efforts moving forward focuses on the branding of individual stations rather than ACFR as a whole. A focus on pathways means, as a system, we focus on the “onboarding” of volunteers. This onboarding includes data entry, background checks, ID production, gear/equipment distribution, and physicals. It is recognized that an efficient onboarding process will ensure that those interested don’t get lost in the process or what is called “pathway”.
The 2015 report includes letter of introduction signed by both Chief Kostas Alibertis from Western Albemarle Rescue Squad/FEMS Board Chair and Chief Eggleston. Of note in the letter are comments derived from a FEMS Board Recruitment and Retention Committee memo to the FEMS Board. These comments simply pointed out the connection between the cost of living/job opportunities and the existence of volunteers within any given community.
The 2015 report looks again at the station by station numbers. However, we do not include year to year comparison numbers due to a record clean-up project in which 250 individuals were removed from the rolls. This change means that comparing last year’s numbers to this year’s numbers would have made little sense as there is no true context. The plan is to begin showing comparative numbers in the next report.
The 2015 report also provides interviews of five individuals; all of whom have joined in the last 18 months. These individuals were chosen based on their chiefs participation in the report committee which means that they went through the new on-boarding process. These individuals speak highly of some items, are critical of others.
Finally, the 2015 report includes a discussion of goals established in the 2014 report. The goals are based on two “Pathways” - one is the Pathway to Volunteering (the onboarding process) and the second in the Pathway to Fulfillment.
• Pathway to Volunteering
– Keep Volunteerism Local
• In 2014/15 the Recruitment and Retention Committee developed new campaigns focused on local branding
– Clear and easy process for joining
• ACFR staff worked behind the scenes and out in the field to help create a streamlined volunteer focused processing
– Invigorate the Recruitment and Retention Committee
• Committee now meeting regularly and providing overall support. Charter was created for the committee along with new Co-Chairs.
– Increase use/support of Social Media
• The FEMS board created a Communications Sub Committee as part of the Recruitment and Retention committee to help increase outreach.
– Provide Recruitment Training for R&R members
• The committee has begun to provide information for members on trainings in Virginia as well as host training within the county
• Sent team from multiple stations to training via grant funding
– Support local Recruitment programs/efforts
• Committee and staff participating in local outreach with both material and workforce
• Pathway to Fulfillment
– Getting the most from your volunteering
• The committee is now looking at retention efforts to ensure members have a good experience beyond their first years
– Recruitment and Retention are different
• There is now a greater focus on differentiating goals at committee and FEMS board levels
– More than just task level participation
• Revamping of Officer Development Program, now in session and offered in a modular, volunteer friendly, format
• Greater support for station boards rather than just focusing on operations
– Provide training to support all functions
• Created Treasurers’ Manual to provide support to station treasurers
– Increase Retention benefits- Analysis
• Brought in national experts to meet with FEMS board and R&R Committee
BUDGET IMPACT: None
RECOMMENDATION:
.Recommendation
This executive summary is for information only and no action is required at this time.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A: 2015 Health and Wellness of the Volunteer System