Understanding Fire Corps and Developing your program

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What is Fire Corps?

• Fire Corps is an Exciting New Initiative– Enhances the capacity of Resource

Constrained Fire Departments by using citizens in non-operational roles

– Provides a medium for citizens to find departments looking for help

– Provides Resources for Departments to start or improve on programs

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What is Fire Corps? (cont’d)

• Minimum it is a marketing and networking tool– A free listing on the WWW for your department– A way to receive information about other ideas

• Maximum it is a full community outreach program– Working with local colleges– Working with senior centers– Working with civic groups

• It can be as large or small as you want it to be

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What is Fire Corps NOT?

• It is not a recruitment tool for volunteer fire fighters

• It is not a tool to avoid hiring positions

• It is not operational roles

• It does not replace a current paid or volunteer position

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Background

• Launched in December 2004 at the White House

• One of five Citizen Corps Partner Programs (www.citizencorps.gov)

• A partnership between:

– International Association of Fire Chiefs

– International Association of Fire Fighters

– National Volunteer Fire Council

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Background (cont’d)

• Managed through the Fire Corps office in Washington DC

• Strategic Direction from National Advisory Committee Comprised of 15 Fire & Emergency Services Organizations

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Why take part?

• Provides a link to the community • Relieves front line providers from many

administrative tasks• Enhances the ability to provide additional

services• Provides a networking tool to other

departments with similar programs • Encourages citizens to become better

prepared for their own emergencies

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Who’s eligible?

• The Requirements to register a program are minimal– Be a fire or emergency services

department or directly affiliated to one– Have in place or be implementing a Fire

Corps Citizen Advocate Program– Keep your information up to date

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Ok I’m interested, now what?

• If you have a volunteer or auxiliary program– Register as soon as possible– Review the program development tips

• Put against your existing programs

– Implement

• If you don’t– Work through developing a program– Implement– Register your program with Fire Corps

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Developing Your Program

• Define your:– Needs– Roles– Liability– Budget

• Define how to manage citizens

• Define how to recruit citizens

• Define how to reward citizens

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Getting Started• Do an Assessment

– Of your wants• Pie in the sky

– Of your needs• Where do you need the most help

– Of what your department will support• “outsiders” can threaten

– Of what your community will support• What is the make up of your customers

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Define the citizen role

• Take input from assessment and define roles

• Look at possible existing roles

• Do NOT plan to implement all roles at once

• Balance wants and needs against the support of the members and community

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Possible Roles• Citizens can help in many ways including but not

limited to:– Account Clerk – Administrative Assistant – Archivist– Budget Analyst– Critical Incident Stress Management– Fire Department Historian– Fundraiser Coordinator– GIS Administrative Support

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More Possible Roles

– Grant Writer– IT Specialist– Newsletter Editor– Office Assistant– Photographer/Videographer– Public Relations Coordinator– Special Events Coordinator– Fire Prevention Coordinator– Fire Safe Clearance Inspector (Wildland Interface)– Home Fire Safety Education– School Fire Safety Education

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Even More Possible Roles

– Food Unit (Canteen) Services– Radio Operator (FD and Amateur) – Department Librarian– E-Learning Specialist– Language Instructors, Tutors and Interpretive

Services– Records Management– Training Materials Publisher– Explorers– Stocking Ambulances– Bookkeeping– Pre-Plan Research

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Selecting Citizens

• Applications– Should include an interview with potential

applicants

• Checks– Reference– Fingerprinting– Drug

• The people selected will represent YOU!• Once selected, welcome them!

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Declining an applicant

• Predefined selection criteria – Some are across the board

• No Felony's• No DUI’s• Residency Requirements

– Some are job specific• Requirement to have a drivers license

– Define and make aware during application process – avoids a lot of issues later

– Maybe other opportunities in community

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Liability

• Differs from state to state– No national or Citizen Corps answer

• VFD’s in all states, the answer is out there

• Look at other programs in your community– Parks, Police may have answer

• Can’t afford liability insurance?– Wavers an option

• Don’t forget about worker's comp

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Budgeting

• Fire Corps is low cost– No Free Lunch

• In volunteer or combination departments– Incrementally low cost – volunteers already

• In career departments– May require a staff member to oversee– Small steps, lower impact, prove concept

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Budgeting (cont’d)

• The scope of opportunities offered will drive cost• Costs to consider include:

– Personnel (the time and/or salary and benefits for program coordinator(s)

– Screening– Specialized on the job training– Work space requirements– Supplies– Equipment– Insurance– Uniforms– Recognition

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Funding

• Fire Corps is eligible under HSGP– Directly under Citizen Corps Funding– Citizen Preparedness in all grant guidance– Pub Ed under AFG

• Local Businesses

• Benevolent Organizations

• Fundraising by non-profit associations

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Plan to manage

• Define who will provide oversight– Extremely critical position

• Can be uniform or civilian• Can be an existing admin member

– Chain of Command should be defined

• Citizen Advocates need the same supervision, support, and feedback as paid or sworn members

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Policies and Procedures

• These need to be set up at the outset– Sets expectations– Allows for everyone to be treated equitably – Prevents future problems

• Provide to new Fire Corps members– Fire Corps Specific Policies– Departmental Policies they need to know

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Policies (cont’d)

• Specific policies to consider include:– Confidentiality– Time requirements– Training requirements– Use of equipment– Uniforms– Termination

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Placement

• Consider two things:– Your needs– The Fire Corps members wants

• Just because they do it for a living they may not want to do it for you

• Placement should be negotiated between the member and the coordinator

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Training

• No set training plan for Fire Corps– Hundreds of programs, hundreds of ways – Depends on what your tasking is

• Training could be merely providing guidance• Could be in-depth

– Don’t forget to orientate!– Don’t forget continuing training

• CERT• CPR• First Aid

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Orientation

• Every member should be orientated to the department• A common tool is a handbook of information• The following is some items you might want to consider

including in your handbook:– A welcome from the chief, president or other command staff

representative– The history of the department – Organizational chart– Requirements of membership– Goals and purpose of the Fire Corps program– Policies and procedures governing the Fire Corps program– By-laws and policies and procedures of the Department (if

applicable)

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Orientation (cont’d)

– Glossary of language and abbreviations used by the department– Emergency procedures and other contact information– Timesheets and other required forms– Termination policy– Evaluation procedures

• In addition, the Fire Corps member should:– meet his or her supervisor – be shown the location(s) where he or she should report– meet the members and/or employees he or she will be working

with– be shown where to store personal belongings– be shown where to park

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Integrating Citizens

• One of the most crucial tasks

• THEY MUST BE MADE PART OF THE TEAM!– Remember we are family and they are a part– If they are treated as outsiders they will leave

• Don’t forget to work with your existing staff/members– Acceptance needs to be at all levels

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Integration Considerations

• Changing your by-laws to allow them to be a class of “member”

• Use of department facilities (workout room)• Credit union membership• Formal and informal celebrations (birthdays,

etc.)• Providing a uniform or clothing identifying as a

member (a t-shirt goes a long way) • Distributing department newsletters and

information

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Program Assessment

• Provides cost/benefit – Gives basis for continued support– Create baseline then eval against that– Commonly collected information may include:

• Number of individuals taking part in the program• Number of hours contributed on a monthly basis• Types of activities engaged in• When applicable, the number of activities

completed

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Individual Review

• Annual Review– Select a member for formal recognition– Identify and prevent a potential problem– Determine what training would be helpful to

the member in performing his or her role– Determine whether the member can and

would like to take on a new or additional role – Obtain feedback and suggestions about the

structure and management of the Fire Corps program

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Recruitment

• Internal Recruitment• Citizen’s Fire Academy• Mass Media• Internet• Existing Volunteer Organizations

– Volunteer Center– Retired and Senior Volunteer Program– Civic Groups

• Educational Institutions• Citizen Corps Councils

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Recognition of Members

• Local: – Verbal expressions of thanks– Letters of commendation– Certificates of appreciation from local elected officials– Fire Corps member of the month awards– Fire Corps member of the year awards– Letters to the member’s employer– Highlighting members on your department’s Web site– Local media publicly – Regular award and recognition banquets/events– Department Logo Items

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Recognition of Members

• State and National Programs– State Recognition Programs– President’s Volunteer Service Award– Daily Points of Light– National Volunteer Week

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Is there help getting started?

• www.firecorps.org – Key for information and promotion of

programs– Resources and FAQ’s– Where departments are listed– Vehicle for citizens to find interested

departments

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Is there help getting started?

• Promotional materials

• 1-800-Fire-Line

• Coming Resources– Peer connection email server (Fall 2005)– Resource Guide (Fall 2005)– CERT to Fire Corps transition (Summer 06)– Traffic Guide (Summer 06)– Promotional Videos (Summer 06)

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More Information• Frequently Asked Questions and Additional

Resources are at:

www.firecorps.org

• Contact the Fire Corps offices at:

E-mail: info@firecorps.org

Phone: 202-887-4809 Fax: 202-887-5291

1050 17th St NW Suite 490

Washington, DC 20036