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Hainesport seeks stipends, grants and school outreach to shore up volunteer ranks
Summary
Committee and the Hainesport Volunteer Fire Company discussed recruitment and retention: a SAFER grant application could fund a daytime stipend crew for several years, the town budget includes LOAP and part‑time coordinator funding, and residents proposed school outreach, junior/explorer programs and auxiliary volunteering to boost numbers.
Hainesport Township leaders and volunteers told a July 29 work session they are pursuing several parallel paths to address chronic volunteer shortages, with special focus on daytime staffing.
Chief Sean Bozart said the department’s main vulnerability is daytime coverage: while evening calls are well handled, many certified members work during the day and response can be slow. "A lot of our neighboring companies already have stipend programs ... they attract our own members," he said, describing stipend programs that put paid daytime crews in the station to boost availability.
Town staff said the township applied for a SAFER recruitment and retention grant; presenters described the application as requesting roughly $491,582 and said award announcements are expected in late September. Staff described the SAFER money as intended to underwrite stipends and recruitment/retention activities over a multi‑year period if awarded. Officials also noted local funding steps already in place: annual general fund allocations to the fire company, a LOAP (Length of Service Award Program) disbursement, capital allocations earmarked for a new truck, and budgeting this year for a part‑time fire coordinator and a potential part‑time fire inspector.
Recruitment and retention strategies discussed included social media and website redesigns targeted at younger recruits, a junior firefighter/explorer outreach effort with Rancocas Valley schools for students eligible for community‑service credits, expanded auxiliary volunteer roles (administration, maintenance and event planning) and community events such as a planned fire‑prevention open house and other fundraisers. Committee members and residents emphasized that non‑fire volunteer roles can broaden the pool of people who support the company.
Training and certification: the department reports roughly 16 firefighters with Firefighter I certification and 29 total members, with additional recruits in train‑the‑course pipelines; drivers for apparatus number roughly six (five for the tender). Speakers said basic Firefighter I training commonly requires about a year from initial recruitment to credentialing and that EVOC and apparatus‑specific operator instruction add further time before volunteers can drive large rigs.
Costs and constraints: presenters said a SAFER award commonly constrains allowable stipend line items (an attendee cautioned there is typically a stipend cap and urged careful grant review). Department and residents also noted recurring costs for PPE, SCBA bottle replacement cycles and ongoing preventive maintenance. The town lists prior ARPA and FEMA award activity used for PPE purchases and grant‑supported equipment acquisition.
Next steps: staff recommended forming a recruitment and retention committee and using the fire study’s 10‑point plan as an implementation guide; the committee encouraged closer school partnerships and community outreach, continued grant pursuit, and budgeting for coordinator positions to sustain progress.
