Recruit NY

[tree68]

April 9 & 10.

http://www.recruitny.org

Who's doing an open house? One or both days?

What are you doing besides opening your doors and hanging around the station?

[Rice09]

I think it's a great idea and carries weight being that it's State wide. We have our annual banquet that weekend, otherwise we would be participating. We will probably be doing something simular in the future.

[nameless]

from when I was a volunteer, recruitment isn't the problem its retaining them after the first couple months.

[Clutchcargo1]

We received 13 applications during the week of our Recruit NY open house. Although I do agree that keeping them is the real challenge.

We had a one day open house on April 10th, which included a tour of the fire station; the older part was built in 1913 when we first organized a paid FD and the first motorized apparatus in the community. It still has the brass pole, Gamewell alarm system and original 1913 map of the village in the fire hall.

We hung pictures all over the fire hall of the fire company going back to the paid men nearly 100 years ago. It made the lounge look like a classic firehouse and the public was quite impressed. We had modern Turnout Gear on display alongside vintage gear from the fifties.

A 6'X6' doghouse with smoke billowing out and a vent hole cut in the roof stood in front of the station.

We had free food and door prizes - smoke detectors donated by the local Aubuchon Hardware store and other merchants donated items. We gave the public the opportunity to try on turnout gear and SCBA. We had our fire prevention division handing out material and plastic fire hats to the kids. A car sat in the truck bay lifted up with an air bag system, surrounded by rescue jack, jaws and other extrication equipment.

The public got to look at our new Engine Rescue, our rescue boat and all our other apparatus. We handed out our Adopt a Firefighter brochures that explained our mission and itemized cost of fire equipment needed. Fire videos played over the smart board in the classroom and public enjoyed the youtube videos of firefighters in action while they enjoyed free hot dogs and soda on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

All in all, it went very well. We had not planned anything until 3 weeks in advance all the firefighters that signed up and worked the open house got a free fire company tee shirt. Over 40 tee shirts were purchased and I only had one left. The membership deserves a lot of credit for making this happen. They spent over a week cleaning and setting up the firehouse for the event.

We had so much fun we are planning another open house for next year.

One surprise, the ladder company across the street wants to dissolve and join our fire company. So we are probably the only fire company in the state that recruited a whole department!

www.whitehallfire.org

[tree68]

I think we handed out two applications. Our largest body of visitors was a preschool birthday party who came over for a tour.

[wkredick]

We did Open Houses for both 2011 and 2012 RecruitNY weekends.2011 was not good.2012 was better.Trying to be more " in your face" out in the community now. 6 new member since Open House in April 2012