Diversity in the fire service workforce is not a problem to be solved. It’s part of a solution to the challenge of how we can best serve all of our customers. Recruitment and retention of a qualified, diverse, inclusive and safe workforce doesn’t happen by accident. And the intention for this vision and goal is not a once a year or a once every two year effort right before a hiring cycle. We can’t wait to see who shows up to take the test. We can’t count on career fairs and media PSAs to generate qualified diverse candidates. We have to develop a long term strategy and begin our recruitment efforts to diverse middle and high school students.

Explorer programs, middle and high school cadet programs, summer camps, reading and homework programs are all huge opportunities to begin building relationships with potential future firefighters and paramedics.

Over the next year, we will highlight different programs from around the U.S. and Canada that are successfully working with young people, providing firefighting and emergency medical experience, building self-esteem and ensuring that we are growing the next generation of qualified, committed women and minority firefighters and paramedics.

Background:
Firefighter Andréa Speranza came to the Halifax Fire Department, first as a volunteer and then as a career firefighter. She observed that a lot of qualified young women had never considered becoming a volunteer or career firefighter, simply because they never seen a female firefighter.  They didn’t know about the opportunity or what being a firefighter entails. To change that, Andréa created Camp Courage.

Camp Courage is a free, eight-day summer camp program for young women ages 15-19. The application process for acceptance is an essay related to service. Since its inception three years ago, 77 campers have had the Camp Courage experience.

The purpose of Camp Courage is to provide information, education and inspiration about fire, emergency medical, and law enforcement careers. Because of limited funding, Andréa reached out beyond fire to all of the public safety disciplines. The campers get training and experience in all three disciplines. The ultimate goal is that the young women leave with a sense of empowerment and confidence and believe that they can achieve any goal, career or dream they desire. 

Building Support:
Andréa learned early on that she would need to get support from a number of stakeholders in the community including the fire department leadership, local union, city council members, other city agencies, and the schools and local community organizations serving young women. She started with her own network of friends and co-workers. She wanted to make this a formal venture, so she developed a business plan and formed a registered non-profit charity with a board of directors who helped to guide her. Some of the biggest challenges came from within the fire department. Andréa believed that if she could get the first program off the ground she would win over the non-believers.

Funding:
Andréa pulled out all the stops for funding. The fire department agreed to let her use their training facilities, tools, equipment and gear. She asked the local union, businesses, service clubs and friends to help to fund the camp either with money, equipment or in-kind services. Andréa also used her personal Visa card when being short of cash threatened to end the Camp Courage dream.

[Side note: Andréa is a creative fundraiser. For Camp Courage’s second year, she and two of her campers made a presentation at the Canadian Chiefs Conference to all of the chief’s partners—all women. They were so inspired by Camp Courage and the empowering stories of the campers that they passed a hat and raised nearly $2,000.]  

Marketing/Recruiting Young People (Campers):
Andréa first mapped the community to identify likely organizations and gathering places for young women who might be interested in attending Camp Courage. She worked with schools and girls’ sports teams, attended community events in and around Halifax and presented at school career days. She and her volunteers prepared fliers, posters and banners and placed them around the community. Andréa put together a media campaign using PSAs on TV and radio and placed articles in the newspaper. Because of the high-tech mindset of the young people, she also sent email and set up a website and Facebook account.

“It was much, much harder than I thought to get the kids to attend,” says Andréa. “I thought they would be knocking down the door but that clearly wasn’t the case.  “What proved to be most effective was old fashion word-of-mouth that came from understanding the networks of young people and who they look up to.”

Instructors/Counselors:
Andréa knew that one of the keys to Camp Courage’s success was going to be with the all volunteer staff who would be working with the young women. She approached co-workers and friends throughout the community, with an emphasis both on their knowledge and their ability to work with young women. She also brought in guest speakers.

“The women speakers who have come to Camp Courage are successful in a wide range of careers: forensic anthologist, dietician, professional athlete, award winning coach, motivational speaker, business executive, SWAT team member, helicopter paramedic, military service member who served in UN peace keeping missions, and fitness instructors from self defense to yoga,” explains Andréa. “We’ve had a speaker from PARTY—Prevention of Alcohol and Related Trauma in Youth—Program, representatives from emergency service schools, and a consultant has administered the Myers Briggs Type Indicator for a personality profiling to show each camper where her strengths lay.”

Implementation:
Once the groundwork was in place, it was time to begin the implementation. What follows are the lessons that Andréa and her team learned that can help other departments to start a summer camp program:

“Lesson #1: Failure is not an option, only an opportunity to learn how something can work better the next time. This is a necessary mindset if you’re creating any new program and especially if you’re creating a program with sustainability. The first year of the camp taught us about all the areas for which we needed contingency plans: instructors not being available, medical emergencies, equipment failures, back-up equipment, transportation, and weather.  

“Lesson #2: Curriculum flexibility—less talk/classroom stuff and more participation/action. What looked good on paper, did not always work in application. The team remained flexible and made mid-course adjustments as camp progressed.

“Lesson #3: Some sources for campers are better than others. We sent flyers and promotional packages to school principles, guidance/career counselors and physical education teachers. The principals were not as responsive as the guidance counselors and physical education teachers. We did presentations to police officers who are in schools. We gave them the flyers, posters and materials. They did the best job ensuring posters remained up and personally spoke to likely candidates. 

“Lesson #4: Video was better than any flyer. We showed the video at schools and give the video to alumni campers. Peer recruiting is most effective.” 

Evaluation:
Andréa developed both qualitative and quantitative evaluation measures. All of the campers and staff filled out evaluation forms which provided feedback on what worked, what didn’t meet expectations, and how things could be improved in future years. Over the last three years, five of the campers have either been hired by career departments or become volunteers; eight are currently in emergency service schools or have just completed their schooling, and nineteen of the campers have come back to help at the camp.

“The biggest and most gratifying measure is in the empowerment and transformation of the young women who have participated,” exclaims Andréa. “Initially, some campers were afraid of heights, were claustrophobic; lacked confidence in their physical strength and coordination and in their ability to speak in front of peers and adults. The Camp Courage experience changed that—self-esteem and confidence soared! The lifelong friendships that were made and the relationships developed with mentors have given the young women an incredible support network for attaining their dream jobs.”

Contact:
For more information about Camp Courage e-mail Andréa. To watch a five-minute video about Camp Courage, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_drYGqTgCg.