REGISTER NOW | TOPICS | PRESENTERS | SCHEDULE
This FREE two-day immersive, interactive event will focus on strategy and tactics for your recruitment efforts with actionable education on a variety of topics you can take back to your department to have an immediate and sustainable impact.
Whether you’re new to recruitment or an R&R veteran, you’ll come away with fresh approaches and new ideas — presented by national and in-state recruitment experts.
- When: Saturday, May 18 & Sunday, May 19 (Attend Both or Either Day)
- Where: MFRI Headquarters, College Park
- Who Should Attend: Recruitment & Retention Coordinators & Team Members, Department Leadership, Members Interested in Helping with R&R Efforts
The topics covered will include:
- Creating and executing a strategic recruitment plan
- Identifying and educating internal stakeholders to help drive recruitment efforts
- Developing and executing a marketing program
- Optimizing your website to drive recruitment and community engagement
- Leveraging Facebook & Social Media organically and via paid marketing
- Utilizing Google’s Non-Profit program (and others) for free advertising, IT tools and more
- Winning at face-to-face recruiting: How to have a conversation about volunteering
- Tracking and managing volunteer on boarding and progression
- Starting and growing a successful youth program
- Building community equity through partnerships
- Schedule, Speaker Bios & More Coming Soon
Register Now - Free
Registration is FREE for any member of a Maryland or neighboring state volunteer fire, rescue or EMS department involved with or interested in Recruitment & Retention at their organization, including leadership.
Registration includes two days of interactive workshops, lunch and a network event Saturday evening. You can attend both or individual days. Discounted hotels are available.
If you have any questions about the event, hotel/accommodations, are interested in speaking or being part of a panel, or issues with this form, please email [email protected]
Featured Presenters
Dr. Candice McDonald
DBA, PIO, Firefighter/EMT – Winona, OH Fire Department
Capt. Wesley Huey (US Navy, ret.)
Chief Learning Officer at Skyline Technology Solutions
Matt Aalto
Lieutenant/Training Officer – Gaston (OR) Fire District & Orgeon Fire Recruitment Network
Tom LaBelle
Deputy Fire Chief – Henrico (VA) Division of Fire & Virginia Fire-EMS Recruitment Retention Network
Jonathan Dayton
Firefighter/EMT, Webmaster & Social Media – Potomac Volunteer Fire Co.
Christine Bennett
Volunteer Recruitment & Retention Coordinator – Ocean City Fire Department
Interested in speaking or taking part in panel or hot topic discussion? Please email [email protected]
Funding Support By
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Event Schedule
DAY 1 – SATURDAY, MAY 18
| START | END | ||
| 0800 | 0830 | Check-in and Registration | |
| 0830 | 0845 | Kick-off with Kate Tomanelli | |
| 0845 | 1030 | “Thinking Differently” Keynote by Navy Veteran and Thought Leader Wes Huey |
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| 1030 | 1045 | Break | |
| 1045 | 1215 | Ensuring the Future: Strategic Planning for Recruitment & Retention Henrico County, VA Deputy Chief, Tom LaBelle shares the importance of starting with a plan for volunteer recruitment and retention success. Without a solid strategy, how will we ever know if we’re making progress on achieving our goals? |
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| 1215 | 1315 | Lunch, Recruiter Showcase & MarylandVolunteer.org Update with Dave Iannone & Tiger Schmittendorf |
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| 1315 | 1415 | Process is Progress: The need for consistent follow-up and follow-through in maximizing the volunteer life cycle. Gaston OR Firefighter Matt Aalto and Chief Recruiter Tiger Schmittendorf demonstrate how tracking progress and identifying the gaps where we’re losing volunteers is critical to the survival and success of our emergency services organizations. |
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| 1415 | 1430 | Break & Recruiter Showcase | |
| 1430 | 1530 | Marketing without Social Media: Could You Imagine??? Fire Recruiter Matt Aalto shows how offline marketing can be successful in supporting online recruitment efforts. |
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| 1530 | 1700 | Recruiter Showcase and Roundtable Discussion #1: Is there Recruitment without Retention? Dr. Candice McDonald will facilitate a group discussion on the interdependency between recruitment and retention and the need for a comprehensive and consistent effort. |
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| 1700 | 1900 | Networking Event – Information TBA | |
DAY 2 – SUNDAY, MAY 19
| START | END | ||
| 0815 | 0830 | Morning Kick-off | |
| 0830 | 0930 | Web, Social & Internet-Basics Recruiter Jonathan Dayton and Firefighter Matt Aalto share the basics of getting online and staying there. |
Web, Social & Internet-Advanced Fire Service Technology Veteran Dave Iannone will show us how to take our online presence to the next level and how an integrated approach to online marketing is integral to your recruitment and retention efforts. |
| 0930 | 1030 | Building Community Equity through Partnerships Dr. Candice McDonald will explore the connectivity between our public interactions and our ability to establish and maintain long-lasting community partnerships |
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| 1030 | 1045 | Break & Recruiter Showcase | |
| 1045 | 1130 | The Art of Speed Recruiting: Winning the hand-to-hand combat of recruiting new volunteers Chief Recruiter Tiger Schmittendorf sets the stage for being successful at “in-your-face” recruiting and the benefits of creating displays that are attractive, interactive and motivating to prospective volunteers |
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| 1130 | 1245 | Lunch & Roundtable Discussion #2:
Recruit ‘em Early & Often: Growing an FD Youth Program |
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| 1250 | 1400 | Working Your Plan Ocean City MD Assistant Chief Jim Jester and Recruiter Christine Bennett share their story of combining grass roots efforts with a strong online presence to succeed at recruitment and retention |
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| 1405 | 1500 | Roundtable Discussion #3 & Wrap-up Instructors and participants will team up to address burning issues and offer real-world solutions in volunteer recruitment and retention |
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