The Fire Service – It’s a numbers game
Posted on 29. Aug, 2009 by admin in Communication
Let’s face it, every aspect of the fire service revolves around numbers. There is the two-in-two-out rule. So much pressure at the hydrant can equal so much pressure at the pump. An increase (or God forbid a decrease) in budgets can help (or hurt) how a department responds. And of course, there is the “golden hour”.
As more and more cities, towns, counties and township’s face budget crunches, there is a strong push for consolidation of government entities. The fire service is not immune to these ideas.
Just last year Indiana tried pushing through a bill that would do just that. They wanted every county to combine as one and all volunteer departments would cease to exist and run as one complete department countywide.
So what does that have to do with marketing, you might ask? Everything.
You see, I firmly believe that by being more visible to the public we serve and by communicating as much as possible with our elected officials, we build a stronger “brand” for our organization.
Now obviously choosing one political side over another is not what I’m talking about here. What I’m talking about is educating these decision makers on just how valuable and important it is to be separate divisions and still be cost effective. One tool you might find interesting is the National Volunteer Fire Council calculator.
Nearly every volunteer fire department is in a smaller close knit community, get out there and talk with family and friends about your department. Tell them how consolidation could effect their taxes, their insurance and quite possibly the fine coverage they’ve always received.
Develop a website campaign and press releases to keep your community informed.
Attend town hall meetings discussing these issues and express your concerns.
If your department/county has been successful in integrating, I’d love to hear your feedback!
