The decline in membership we are witnessing in volunteer fire services seems to extend into industrial fire teams as well. This trend is starting to show itself here at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute.
In the past five years, we have seen a decline in the total number of students in the industrial fire, hazmat and marine disciplines. The start of this decline coincided with the oil market crash in 2015. We first noticed the hit in our offshore marine program, but we have been observing a slow and steady downward trend in some sectors of our other business units, too. This trend also seems to be in line with shrinking Emergency Response Team (ERT) membership counts. I talk to volunteer and industrial fire chiefs across the U.S. on a regular basis, and most report experiencing a problem with finding and recruiting new members to be a part of their ERTs. Team numbers shrink due to normal attrition, but instead of having a waiting list of potential new members, they are now recruiting, begging, bribing and even forcing new employees to fill vacancies on ERTs.
Forcing new employees to choose whether they want to be on the fire brigade or rescue team during onboarding is not a good method of selecting team members. The question is: How do we entice or re-energize today's generation into being a part of something we in the field have always considered so special? And I'm not picking on any certain age range; when I say "today's generation," I'm speaking of anyone between the ages of 18 and 45.
As a baby boomer, I don't want to debate what's right or wrong with Generation X, millennials or the brand-new Generation Z, born between 1996 and 2014. For the purposes of this article, let's focus on Gen Zers, since they are being hired into the workforce today. If you can figure out how to recruit and retain them on your ERTs, the return on your efforts could be measured in many years of service.
With recruiting and retention in mind, let's see if there is something we can focus on to appeal to this generation from our specialized world.
Gen Z characteristics
- Technologically advanced: Probably born with a smartphone in their hand.
- Born in the internet age: Texted from a young age; prefer messaging over face-toface communication.
- Hey Google: Spend several hours a day on social media and the internet.
- Visual learners: Gen Zers reportedly perceive information visually; storytelling, explainer videos and other forms of visualization capture their attention.
- Independent, self-confident and autonomous: They don't rely on parents as much as previous generations. Technology allows them to start earning money at an earlier age.
- Entrepreneurs: According to reports, 72 percent of high school students think of starting their own business and 76 percent hope their future jobs will be derived from their hobbies.
- Environmentally aware: They value an eco-friendly, healthy lifestyle; could be the first generation with a positive impact on the environment.
- Excellent multitaskers: They have the ability to absorb tons of information in a short period of time and are built to handle several tasks at once.
With respect to recruiting, Gen Zers have a lot of desirable characteristics. They are tech-savvy; readily answer texts, messages and emails; visual, independent, self-confident and autonomous; driven by goals and dreams; environmentally conscientious; and skilled multitaskers.
So, how do we get their attention and pique their interest in ERT? Money is one driving force. I've had discussions with several other chiefs about their team members' benefits, and the range is very wide. Several chiefs reported having a per-hour monetary increase from $0.25 to $1.50. Some weigh the percentage or number of teams a member is on, and others prefer weighing for longevity. These factors add up to a nice figure, with the per-hour amounts ranging from $1,500 to $2,500.
My favorite incentive program comes from my old plant and is a little more complicated, but the advanced and tech-savvy Gen Z youth may enjoy figuring it out.
ERT incentive program
The program runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. All ERT personnel employed during the period are eligible, and awards are distributed the following year.
The objectives of the program are reduced attrition, 100-percent attendance for scheduled on-site training sessions, and 100-percent attendance for scheduled off-site training sessions. ERT members who achieve these targets receive a bonus, which is calculated based on years of team membership. The bonus amount is $450 for one to five years of service, and an additional $52.50 is added for every year of service above the five-year mark. There is no maximum number of credits that can be earned. Service on multiple teams is also rewarded by multiplying years of service by 10 percent for each extra team to which the member belongs.
In this program, even first-year members receive at least $450, and members who are on multiple teams -- multi-taskers -- reap even bigger benefits. A program like this can be tweaked in several ways to make it fit a company's budget while still achieving the desired results.
Let's consider some other areas that may coax Gen Zers to join ERT. Known for their texting, messaging and internet abilities, communications may be an attractive option. Offer top-notch radio and communications training. We could all benefit from improvements to communications, and Gen Zers could play a big role in that.
If you don't have a brand-new pumper on-site yet, get ready. These apparatuses are becoming more technical every day, and the new electronic controls offered for them are impressive. ERT always needs excellently trained pumper operators we can rely on to take care of our high-dollar apparatuses. This may be an enticing option for Gen Zers, so offer extensive new pumper training.
You may also try appealing to their environmental awareness. The sooner ERT gets an emergency under control, the sooner we can stop the environmental damage and start mediation. We need good, young, trained ERT members for stopping, containing, extinguishing and controlling emergencies. It's a ton of responsibility that takes a lot of training in new skillsets and consistent practice.
Of course, all of the communication, pumper and environmental training begins with mastering the basic disciplines before specialization: fire, rescue, hazmat and many more. We must first give them the tools and training to make them competent and not a danger to themselves or the team.
Retention
The second problem is retention. Once on the team, most Gen Zers will begin to embrace the skills they develop, adding to their self-confidence and swagger. It's critical that we make sure they fit in, belong and want to remain a part of the team. It takes some extra effort, but we should engage them during training sessions, reward them when they do well and recognize them for special achievements. Make sure your team leaders treat them with respect, without shouting or getting upset. Cookouts, BBQs and get-togethers after training add to the comradery. Involve families and spouses in extracurricular events, if possible. Retention is about making Gen Zers feel like part of the team and encouraging them to continue growing their knowledge. Being multitaskers, they probably won't be on only one team, which is another plus for the employer.
Once you get the first new ERT members, they will be a magnet for others to follow. We are not at an alarming point yet, but if we don't start slowing the downward trend and begin working on a solution, our field could face significant shortfalls in the next few years. Take a serious look at your team's demographics. How many are over 50 years old and how many are under 30? I'm betting there aren't enough new young members to replace your retirees in the next few years.
I hope I've mentioned something in this article that has you thinking about recruitment and retention. This is a topic worthy of discussion at your next team meeting; someone may have a great idea to share.
If you're already doing something that is working or making a difference, the rest of us would love to hear about it. Please feel free to reach out to me to share your experiences. Stay safe out there!
For more information, visit http://www.teex.org or call (866) 878-8900, or email John.Burge@teex.tamu.edu.
