Capital Region Fire Companies Yield 71 New Volunteers in Year One

Harrisburg, Pa- Just one year after 21 Capital Region fire companies banded together to address the shortage of first responders, the committee that organized the effort has a milestone to celebrate: the addition of 71 new volunteer firefighters. This figure represents 21 more than its annual goal of 50 new recruits.

The recruitment initiative was the brainchild of leaders within the Capital Region Council of Governments (CapCOG), a voluntary collective body which united 21 fire companies within the East Shore, West Shore and Capital Region under the umbrella of the www.CapitalRegionFirefighter.org recruitment campaign.

The campaign, funded by a four-year Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), comes at no cost to local taxpayers.

“When volunteer fire companies and municipalities work together toward a common vision, good things can happen," said Jerry Ozog, member of the CapCOG Advisory Committee and Executive Director of Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute. "This collaborative project between the local governments and volunteer fire companies has exceeded my expectations.”

Since the April 27, 2022 press conference and official launch of www.CapitalRegionFirefighter.org, the recruitment campaign has been kept top-of-mind through

targeted residential mailings, robust social media activities, public relations, digital advertising and even a friendly competition between East and West Shore fire companies. The Communication Solutions Group, a PA-based public relations firm specializing in fire company recruitment, has been working alongside the CapCOG leadership team and the 21 participating companies to keep the campaign in the public eye. Recruitment training and recruitment booths will be on full display at community events as part of the campaign.

“Each of the 21 companies has found its own unique way to share the campaign message within their community. All in all, this has been a strong collaborative effort with a positive result,” said Scott Ryno, Program Manager of the SAFER grant.

Ryno emphasizes that the first step for anyone who is inspired by the campaign theme - “Step Up, Gear Up, and Volunteer,” is to visit the recruitment website.

The URL, WWW.CapitalRegionFirefighter.org, provides a centralized location to learn about ways to volunteer, read frequently asked questions and to identify your closest fire company. Once an inquiry form is completed online, the local fire company will reach out to invite interested citizens in for a visit or tour.

No experience is required to apply, and all training and equipment are provided to the volunteers free of charge. New volunteers have learned a plethora of skills not limited to: leadership, strong communication skills, mechanical aptitude, and fast and sound-decision making skills.

“It is really rewarding seeing the people that you get to save and protect and knowing that you can help your community in a meaningful way,” said Zach Leitzel, a volunteer at New Kingstown Fire Company who joined in December. “It may seem a little scary at first, but it's truly one of the most rewarding things that you can do.”

Not all recruitment is geared towards fighting fires, in fact, plenty of the new volunteers assist the community in non-emergency roles. Those not interested in fighting fires on the front lines fill administrative positions like fundraising, grant writing, and assisting at community events. Opportunities for junior volunteers, fire police and live-in firefighters also exist within many of the participating stations.

On the second anniversary of the recruitment campaign, CapCOG aims to surpass its goal of 50 volunteers once again and to continue to provide the highest level of emergency response.

"Our dedicated volunteer firefighters provide needed community service and this use of federal dollars proves local recruitment efforts are working," said Ozog.

To learn more about the recruitment campaign, please visit http://CapitalRegionFirefighter.org.