E-Update: April 22, 2009

Welcome to the Fire Corps E-Update. Fire Corps is a locally-driven Citizen Corps program that allows community members to offer their time and talents to their local fire and EMS departments in non-operational roles. Fire Corps serves as a gateway to information for and about fire and EMS department programs and meets a citizen's desire to serve as well as a department's need for support.

In this issue:

1. Raise Funds for Your Department Through Baskin-Robbins® 31 Cent Scoop Night
2. Disaster Preparedness and National Financial Literacy Month
3. Recognize Your Volunteers This Week During National Volunteer Week
4. Michigan to Air Fire Corps PSA in May
5. Massachusetts Uses 1-800-FIRE-LINE as Main Component of Recruitment Campaign
6. Department Profile: Inspiration for Established Programs and Newcomers Alike
7. Calendar of Events

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Raise Funds for Your Department Through Baskin-Robbins® 31 Cent Scoop Night

There is still time for your Fire Corps team to partner with your local Baskin-Robbins® store to raise funds for your volunteer, career, or combination fire department during the 3rd annual Baskin-Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night. The event takes place on April 29 from 5-10 p.m., so connect with your local store today! Go to www.baskinrobbins.com/firefighters or email baskinrobbins@schneiderpr.com and ask to be matched with a Baskin-Robbins store for 31 Cent Scoop Night. Read More

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Disaster Preparedness and National Financial Literacy Month

In light of the national economic situation and since April is National Financial Literacy Month, the National Office of Citizen Corps is highlighting the efforts of organizations who are leading the way in promoting pre-disaster financial preparedness and in increasing financial literacy across the country. We encourage all Citizen Corps Councils and partners, including Fire Corps teams, to learn more about how they can get involved in local financial literacy efforts and to reach out to citizens with the valuable information included in this article. Read More

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Recognize Your Volunteers This Week During National Volunteer Week

It’s National Volunteer Week, an excellent opportunity to recognize the efforts of your Fire Corps volunteers as well as to promote the spirit of volunteerism among the general public. This year’s theme is "Celebrating People in Action." The Points of Light & Hands On Network offers a National Volunteer Week Toolkit with planning materials, sample media releases, and more, available online by clicking here. Recognize the hard work and commitment of your volunteers by highlighting them on the Fire Corps web site. Simply fill out the Fire Corps Profile Information Sheet and send the form, along with photos and captions, to info@firecorps.org or fax to (202) 887-5291. For more ideas on how to recognize your Fire Corps members, please refer to the Fire Corps Resource Guide.

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Michigan to Air Fire Corps PSAs in May

Next month, many citizens in Michigan will learn about Fire Corps thanks to Comcast, Fire Corps State Advocate Sgt. Dwayne Thompson of Macomb (MI) Township Fire Department, and Macomb Fire Corps member Dr. David McFadden. Comcast, the country’s largest provider of cable services, worked with Thompson and McFadden to develop public service announcements (PSAs) free-of-charge in order to help expand the Fire Corps program statewide and bring vehicle safety tips to the community. Both PSAs will air in Michigan in May. Read More

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Massachusetts Uses 1-800-FIRE-LINE as Main Component of Recruitment Campaign

In late March, the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighters’ Association (MCVFA) launched an expansive recruitment campaign that utilizes 1-800-FIRE-LINE to attract prospective emergency and non-emergency volunteers to their local fire and emergency service departments. MCVFA is publicizing the toll-free number through several media outlets, including radio and television, in select markets. The recruitment campaign is partially funded through a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, which is a program of the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Read More

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Department Profile: Inspiration for Established Programs and Newcomers Alike

As a subscriber to the Fire Corps E-update, you have probably noticed a common thread in each issue – a department profile. Each month, the Fire Corps national office strives to bring you a detailed look at what different Fire Corps programs are doing across the country. The purpose of these profiles is to provide programs, both new and established, with ideas to expand their current projects or add new ones.

Help inspire other departments by filling out the Profile Information Form to have your program featured in a future issue of the E-update and on the Fire Corps web site. The Fire Corps national office reviews the submissions, drafts the article, and works with the contributors to deliver the final product. In addition to helping other Fire Corps programs, your effort will also result in free positive publicity for your program, department, and community.

To view previous department profiles, visit the Program Profiles page of the Fire Corps web site.

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Calendar of Events

View a list of events that Fire Corps staff will be attending, as well as nationally recognized dates which Fire Corps would like to acknowledge.

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