Trending
It's getting more difficult to find volunteers to join fire companies and be emergency medical service providers.
In Montoursville Borough, that challenge has been made a bit more manageable with a $382,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for recruitment purposes at Willing Hand Hose Co. Station 20, a fire official said.
The four-year grant will allow the fire company at 821 Broad St. to more actively recruit prospective firefighters and emergency service personnel, said Chris Suzadail, company vice president and grant manager.
Normally, the fire company gets word out to prospective members and the public through social media and community engagement in such activities as the annual Montoursville Fall Festival, he said.
The grant will help the company to pay a stipend or pay-per-call, he said.
Since the new offer was put on the company's redesigned website, the company has received about a half a dozen individuals expressing interest to join, Suzadail said.
Additionally, the new website and emphasis on digital recruitment had drawn a steady stream of inquiries who wanted to sign up on the company application form, he said.
"We've had seven or eight in the first week," he said.
The stipends reward current and future volunteers based on number of calls they are responding to, training participated in and hours staffed in the station, he explained.
The recruits need only to be able to work at the station and be available to run on calls dispatched by 911 Center for fires and EMS, Suzadail said.
The grant also provides money for the company to offer tuition reimbursement for those attending approved institutions of higher learning attuned to the fire and EMS, he said.
A student that would be going to school beginning this fall and be a member of our organization and meet certain requirements will have the ability to earn up to $10,000 in tuition assistance over their four years in college, according to the program as reported by WNEP.
The stipend program is not just for college students; it is for anyone in the community. In addition, all new recruits will get new gear and custom-fit personal protective equipment.