Ohio firefighters need new recruits

Campaign Supported by a new $1,195,000 Federal SAFER Grant

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Ohio’s emergency response leaders, will be launching a new fire service leader training program Feb. 1. The goal of this four-year campaign is to reverse the declining trend of volunteer emergency responder involvement in Ohio and to generate new recruits to the fire service. This retention and recruitment training will include implementation of local media campaign planning consisting of television commercials, local newspaper advertisements, full size color recruiting posters, online banner advertisements and training events.

Volunteer fire and rescue personnel account for over 60 percent of the firefighters and EMTs statewide. Although emergency calls have doubled, the number of volunteers has fallen more than 20 percent in the past two decades.

OFCA has hired The Redden Group, a grant management firm, to manage this grant award. All grant funds will be spent in Ohio to focus on the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. SAFER funding is a competitive grant program that is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.

“Being a volunteer firefighter is an important and demanding job. In the current economic climate, it is difficult to recruit and retain good volunteers to perform this work and this grant will go a long way to increase staffing of Ohio’s fire and rescue companies” OFCA President Chief Bernard Ingles said.

The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association was founded in 1910 to represent emergency response chief officers across Ohio. Through a variety of programs and services, the association provides education and professional development, legislative advocacy, communication and information exchange and peer networking opportunities throughout the year.

For additional information go to www.ohiofirechiefs.org or contact: Greg Redden, Program Manager 1-855-VOLFIRE Greg@ohiofirechiefs.org