Fire Department Targets Community in Recruitment Push

The Glen Rock Volunteer Fire Department is hoping that a series of advertisements appealing to the public's sense of duty will help reverse a national trend that has seen department ranks shrink over the last decade.

"The Department is hoping to notify the community of the need for an expanded membership to better serve the municipality," said Glen Rock Fire Department Chief Tom Jennings in a press release. "Our objective is to reverse a national trend and expand the ranks of the department."

Glen Rock currently has approximately 30 active volunteer firefighters.

Over a quarter century the number of volunteer firefighters around the country has declined by more than 10 percent — from 897,750 in 1984 to 812,150 in 2009 — according to the National Volunteer Firefighter Council.

James Bartlett, the chairman of Glen Rock’s recruitment committee stressed that Glen Rock is no different than any other white-collar community in the nation.

"We are experiencing a shortage of manpower, however, we want to make sure that continue to have enough men to respond," Bartlett said.

Volunteers comprise 71% of firefighters across the United States, according to the NVFC.

The first ad in the campaign, which began appearing recently in the Glen Rock Gazette, centers on a call to action “Will you accept the challenge?” and features four GRFD members in full turnout gear in a dramatically lit tableau.

The remaining ads will spotlight individual members who like others in the community are active sports coaches and have jobs while still finding time to volunteer, according to the press release.

Volunteers Billy Burbano, Mike Jennings, Mike Aguilar and Sarah Sexton are featured in the ads.

Aguilar, an attorney for American Express and GRFD volunteer, has devoted much of his time to the department and was praised by the fire chief. 

“The ability for him to give back to the community by helping others in a time of need is a great motivator. He is an important member of our department and we need more members similar to him who can keep our town safe," Jennings said.

The department has no official recruitment events lined up in the community but will have a presence at local street fairs, according to GRFD volunteer Perry DeGregorio. In addition, the department commonly sets up tours of their facilities to keep open lines of communication with the community.

If you're interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities call 201-670-3987.