Recruitment and Retention

Many rural EMS agencies face challenges in recruiting and retaining the volunteers who often play such a crucial role. By designating a recruitment manager and a volunteer coordinator, you can dedicate strategic resources toward recruiting and maintaining your staff. The following resources may help you attract new members to volunteer with your service and keep them there.

Writing a volunteer position description

Explaining the position for potential recruits lays out expectations early.

There are many ways to write the position description but here are some components that you should cover:

1. Position Title
   A specific, descriptive title provides the volunteer with a sense of identity and ensures that salaried staff and other volunteers understand this particular role. Steer away from descriptions that have to do with the presence or lack of pay. For example, why call the receptionist a "volunteer" receptionist? You don't say "paid" receptionist for a staff member.
2. Work Location
   Where will the individual be working? Can the work be done at home or only on site, or at a particular site? Make sure that there is public transportation near your work site/s so you can recruit people who might not have their own transportation.
3. Purpose of the Position
   How will the volunteer's work affect the project's outcome, clients, or mission? It is important to identify the expected impact for both direct service and administrative assignments so that volunteers will understand how important their work is.
4. Responsibilities and Duties
   Specifically identify the volunteer position's responsibilities and duties. Define what is expected from the volunteer.
5. Qualifications
   It pays to be very clear and concrete in listing qualifications for any volunteer position. Include education, personal characteristics, skills, abilities and/or experience required.
6. Commitment Expected
   What do you expect of the volunteer? Include Length of service, hours per week, hours per day. Include any special requirements such as weekend work.
7. Training
   List what training the volunteer will receive. Include general training that all positions receive plus any position-specific training for this assignment.
8. Other
   Include the date the description was written or the date that it was updated. List the volunteer supervisor's name and his/her contact information. Include information about how to get more information and who to call if interested. You might want to include signature lines for the volunteer manager and the site supervisor if appropriate.

Finding daytime volunteers

Covering volunteer daytime shifts can be difficult due to employment work schedules. Consider recruiting a volunteer stay–at–home parent who could care for children while other parents are responding to calls.

Finding Daytime Volunteers by Susan J. Ellis

Addressing concerns about EMS runs

Most people think EMS personnel primarily encounter “blood and guts” situations. Portraying what the typical EMS run actually entails can dispel misconceptions that might prevent recruits from volunteering. 

Common EMS Myths:

The following are the most repeated myths that prevent people from pursuing the opportunity to become an EMT.

MYTH: Most of the calls are bloody and grotesque.
The truth is that the majority of 911 calls are for physically ill patients or injuries that are not bloody.

MYTH: You need to be able to spell and say rapidly three times, "myocardial infarction".
EMS training doesn't require a prior knowledge of medical terminology. The emphasis in EMS is always on being clear and understood rather than being overly technical.

MYTH: Most calls are life threatening.
To the person who is calling 911, their situation may feel life and death. What is needed in emergency situations is a trained person with a cool head to stabilize the situation, prevent additional injury and comfort the individual. With teamwork, all situations are manageable.

MYTH: District One has enough members.
We always welcome new members. Our goal is to maintain an environment where new members are paired with veteran members which allows our service to ensure that we are able to sustain high levels of experienced, quality care both now and in the future.

MYTH: A member is always on call.
Districts may operate on a scheduled basis. Each member is required to volunteer a minimum number of shifts per month. Members may choose shift times that work well for their schedule.

MYTH: You must have nerves of steel.
We always respond to emergencies as a team, so we have one another for support. We do what is necessary to aid the patient, utilizing our training and by following our protocols.

MYTH: You must live within the district.
Membership may be available to those who qualify. Sleeping and living quarters may be available to members.

Retaining members

By incorporating a few easy practices, your service can retain existing volunteers and avoid burnout. The following materials were created by the Virginia Dept. of Health's Office of Emergency Medical Services. Below are a sample of the retention tools you will find in Virginia's EMS Workforce Retention Tool Kit – Keeping the Best.

Provide incentives to volunteers through the Minnesota Ambulance Service Longevity Award and Incentive Program.