Lights! Camera! Ship Bottom!

The faces and voices of Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company firefighters have been everywhere this summer, thanks to a new recruitment video and recruitment and fire safety radio spots.

“The video gives potential volunteers incredible insight into the fire company,” said Deputy Chief Mike Essig, who coordinated volunteers for the video shoot. “They see how we train, how we respond, and the camaraderie here. It gives them a sense of what it would be like to be part of it.”

The video, which can be seen above and at shipbottomfirefighters.org, has already helped bring in new volunteers. “Some have said they were excited to join just based off of what they saw in the video,” Essig said. “They have also told me that being a Ship Bottom volunteer is even better than they thought it would be.”

The radio spots, which will be airing on WBNJ (91.9 FM), will expand the message that volunteers are needed, and that whether someone is a seasonal resident or lives here full-time, is a retired or mainland first-responder or has never been on an emergency scene, their neighbors need them. The spots also allowed volunteers to share fire and water safety information with the community.

Big Recruitment Impact at No Cost to Local Taxpayers

The videos and radio spots are the newest components of Ship Bottom Fire’s ongoing recruitment campaign, which has generated more than 70 volunteer inquiries since it was launched last summer with the guidance of The Communication Solutions Group, a marketing company that specializes in volunteer firefighter recruitment.

Funded by a four-year FEMA grant, the campaign has cost local taxpayers nothing. The recording and run time of the radio spots were donated by WBNJ, a nonprofit, independent public radio station. Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company volunteers also save local taxpayers millions
each year by providing essential services without salary or benefits.

Continuing to Get the Word Out

While pleased with the results of the video and the rest of the recruitment efforts, Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company Chief Todd MacLennan said the need for volunteers never lets up in any category –firefighters, water rescue, junior firefighters, fire police, and administrative.

“More volunteers make everything easier for everyone – there’s more help to carry the workload,” he said. Administrative volunteers are a vital component of the fire company, as grant writing, fundraising, maintenance, helping with the annual block party, and other work
they do allows others to focus on emergency response and operations.

People can join the fire company without knowing what role is right for them, MacLennan said. They can even arrange to volunteer at a single community event or observe a drill night. “You’ve just got to come to the pool and put your toe in,” he said. “If it feels good, you’ll jump in.”

Ship Bottom’s recruitment campaign builds on the fire company’s big community presence and stellar reputation, said Leza Raffel, president of The Communication Solutions Group, the company helping Ship Bottom with its ongoing campaign. “Everyone in this community already saw Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company in a very positive way. We wanted residents to understand that these friendly people are experts with serious training. We wanted them to get a taste of the camaraderie, the satisfaction - and yes, the adrenaline - that comes from being a firefighter or water rescue volunteer. Current Ship Bottom volunteers are the best people to tell these stories. We just pointed the spotlight.”

To learn more about volunteering with Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company, visit www.shipbottomfirefighters.org. Click on the “Join Us” tab and fill out the form. Someone from the fire company will reach out to you shortly.