Volunteers and getting and staying active

[ccoyle04]

I'd like some help. Can anyone offer some ideas on getting volunteers active. Our FD is a small one, we don't have a lot of calls either fire or EMS. The paid guys are in our station 24/7 now, but we still need to keep our skills up. We've seem to lost the morale we used to have. It's probably happened over the last 2 years. I am the new EMS captain and I really want to get the participation back. I've already lost one who let her card go and I have 2 others that are on the fence. I would like to get them involved. I'm planning on some drills, and I will beg and plead if I have to get them to come out. I'm a fun person, and I want to make it fun for them. We do this because we want to, not because we have to. Has anyone else experienced this type of problem? Any type of help or suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks

[EMTWintz]

Have you thought of organizing a MCI? That is something you can get everyone involved in. FD,PD and any local EMS. I think this summer we are going to hold one in my town. The grade school has adopted a Dangerous Person protocol and I think we will be doing something with that. About 3-4 years ago we did one with gas explosions and casualties, fires and all the fun stuff. Many neighboring towns showed up, I think everyone had a blast and you got to utilize all the skills.

[DrParasite]

Our FD is a small one, we don't have a lot of calls either fire or EMS. The paid guys are in our station 24/7 now, but we still need to keep our skills up.I'm curious.... if you are a small FD, why do you have paid staff in station 24/7?

in response to your question, volunteers stay around when they are busy. put them on the ambulance. put them on the engine. let them respond to calls. let them do stuff. don't let the paid guys handle every call. let the volunteer treat the patient. let him run the call. let him drive the ambulance. let them do stuff.

big drills are fun, you get to network, hang out with friends, see your buddies from the next town over. but they are hard to set up. practice your bread and butter, your chest pains, sick person, resp distress, major traumas.

let your volunteers use their skills. on real calls. that will keep them there.