Hopewell Valley Launches Volunteer Firefighter/EMT Recruitment Effort

Hopewell Twp., NJ…..The volunteer fire departments and rescue and first aid squads from Hopewell Valley have ramped up efforts to recruit volunteers, hiring a public relations firm with a proven record of successful volunteer firefighter recruitment campaigns to guide the way.

“We have amazing volunteer agencies,” Hopewell Township Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Michael Chipowsky said, referring to Hopewell Fire Department & Emergency Medical Unit, Union Fire Company & Rescue Squad, Pennington Fire Company, and Pennington First Aid Squad. “The departments are good at what they do, but we need more volunteers to keep doing it.”

The Communication Solutions Group, Inc., based in Jenkintown, PA, is a professional communications firm hired through a competitive purchasing process by Hopewell Township Fire District No. 1 to help the volunteer departments recruit more members.

“There’s a documented, nation-wide shortage of volunteer firefighters and EMTs, so Hopewell Valley isn’t alone in this need,” said Communication Solutions President Leza Raffel. While the need is universal, the effort will be tailored specifically to the volunteer departments of Hopewell Valley. “We specialize in recruitment campaigns that capture the unique essence and specific needs of a fire department or rescue squad and communicate that to the communities they serve,” Raffel said. “Everywhere we’ve done this work, we’ve discovered communities that love and value their firefighters and EMTs, but don’t necessarily realize they are volunteers.”

The Hopewell Valley campaign begins with the launch of a new website, www.protecthopewellvalley.com, which will provide information about what local volunteers do for the Hopewell Valley and the types of volunteers that are needed. Website visitors interested in volunteering as firefighters, EMTs, fire police, or in non-emergency support positions can fill out an electronic form about their specific interest and an active member of the appropriate department or squad will contact them. The Hopewell Valley campaign also features a new catchphrase: Be the neighbor your neighbors can’t live without.

“It perfectly sums up our commitment to this community, and the community’s need for these organizations,” Chipowsky said.