The data is sobering.
Seventy percent of firefighters in North Carolina are volunteers, and that number is plummeting by 12 percent each year. This begs the question — What will happen when you call 9-1-1, and no one is left to respond?
The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs (NCAFC) took action. With a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the NCAFC launched a critical two-year campaign designed to boost the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters in North Carolina.
Clairemont Communications, along with partner The Felice Agency, is thrilled to work with the NCAFC on this exciting and worthy campaign. In addition to fire chief trainings, marketing toolkits and messaging, we’ve been “on the horn” sharing this story far and wide. Within just a few weeks of the campaign launch, we secured 14 strong media stories to spotlight the need and move the needle for our client.
Check out this feature from Spectrum News!
A fun fact? Fire departments have positions for volunteers of all ages, stages and skill sets! If you’re interested in learning more, visit Volunteer Fire NC.
This campaign targets select fire departments across 12 at-risk counties, including:
- Bladen County: Elizabethtown Fire Department
- Buncombe County: French Broad Volunteer Fire & Rescue and West Buncombe Volunteer Fire Department
- Cherokee County: Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department
- Duplin County: Chinquapin Volunteer Fire & Rescue
- Forsyth County: Lewisville Fire Department and Rural Hall Fire Department
- Franklin County: Youngsville Volunteer Fire Department
- Harnett County: Harnett County Chiefs Association
- Northampton County: Gaston Volunteer Fire Department
- Pitt County: Town of Winterville Fire Department
- Wake County: Wake County Fire Services
- Wilson County: Silver Lake Volunteer Fire Department
- Yadkin County: East Bend Volunteer Fire Department and Fall Creek Volunteer Fire Department
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