Starting or expanding a Fire Corps program in your community is a great way to ease the burden on your local fire/EMS department as well as expand the services your department can offer. Through Fire Corps, community members assist their local fire department with non-emergency tasks, allowing the firefighters to focus on emergency response functions. Fire Corps members can perform any number of tasks for a department, including promoting fire safety in schools, homes, and elsewhere in the community.
Tips for starting or expanding a Fire Corps program:
- Download the Fire Corps Resource Guide from the Fire Corps website at www.firecorps.org. This guide takes you through the steps you will need to establish, expand, manage, and market your Fire Corps program.
- If you already have a team of citizen volunteers, register your program with Fire Corps to gain access to the resources and funding opportunities available through Fire Corps.
- Market your Fire Corps program within your department and in your community by using the Fire Corps promotional videos and public service announcements available for free in the Resource Center at www.firecorps.org/resources. Other resources include Fire Corps brochures and sample recruitment ads.
- Implement the 1-800-FIRE-LINE campaign in your state. The 1-800-FIRE-LINE national recruitment campaign helps connect community members who are interested in volunteering with their local fire/EMS department. Community members can find out about both operational and non-operational volunteer opportunities near them. To find out if your state is a member of 1-800-FIRE-LINE campaign or to establish the campaign in your state, visit www.firecorps.org/resources/fireline.cfm.
- If you are a community member who is interested in helping your local department in a non-emergency capacity, locate the nearest Fire Corps program by going to www.firecorps.org and clicking on “Find A Program”, or call 1-800-FIRE-LINE to learn of Fire Corps opportunities near you.
- Fire Corps teams can help spread messages of fire prevention and fire safety in many different ways, including conducting fire safety programs in schools and the community, conducting smoke alarm tests and installations in homes, and conducting school and home safety inspections.
