The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒

Consulting and education for the volunteer fire and EMS service. Allow us to help your department be sustainable into the future.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

An interview, background check and drug screen should be part of onboarding a new member. Bring your department into the 21st Century.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Leaders that won’t support needed change are themselves afraid of loosing power. It’s more about “them” than the department being sustainable.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Resisting change when change is required is destroying the volunteer service.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Weak leaders blame everything on someone else. Strong leaders openly accept blame and learn from the experience.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Real change is not always pretty and is frequently rejected, but sometimes it’s necessary for survival.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Modernizing your department likely requires needed change.
Make the changes or go into obscurity.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

If your leaders are leading like their predecessors did 45 years ago, your department is likely failing.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Poor leadership can be a fatal disease.
Modernize your department and create leadership accountability before it’s too late.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Maintain high standards for leadership or suffer from a failing department. They are the two choices.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

When your leadership is either afraid of the cliques or a part of them, your members will quickly find their way to the front door.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

If you think you’re on an island by yourself, you aren’t.
Poorly trained leadership is common. It’s also fixable.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Success may attract enemies and progress may attract jealousy. But that’s exactly what our volunteer system needs!

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Departments ran under the old social-club model are no longer sustainable. Shout it from the rooftops!

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

The volunteer system can be salvaged if we can drag ourselves away from 1980 and realize it’s 2025. Embrace the change that is necessary.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

If you have members who are afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, you have a huge internal issue.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

If your bylaws do not have your Board of Directors create accountability for your Administrative and Operational leadership, it’s time they do.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Retention success is possible when leaders are fair, unbiased and non-tolerant of cliques.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

The problem within the volunteer service isn’t recruitment of firefighters and EMS personnel, it’s recruitment of solid leadership. Solid leadership can solve recruitment and retention issues.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

Leaders:
Listen to understand, not just to respond.
🚒 Show you care about your member’s concerns.
👨‍🚒 Build trust and respect through open communication.

[The Modern Volunteer Fire Service 🚒 @modern_fire]

If your leadership needs to surround themselves with “yes” people, they are likely ineffective leaders.