Helping leaders to attract and retain volunteers

Disasters like the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfire Season often result in a spike in emergency volunteer inquiries.  

But there was little guidance for brigades, groups and units into how to properly onboard, support, lead or manage the new volunteers to prepare them for future events. 

The Centre undertook a project in 2017 that provided valuable insights into what engages and motivates people to volunteer, and suggested strategies for training and retaining them.   

This work, together with research conducted with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), led to the Supporting New Volunteers: A Resource Kit for Emergency Service Volunteer Leaders, a toolkit designed to support volunteer recruitment, onboarding and leadership.  

Launched in 2021, the toolkit helps volunteer leaders – who often aren’t trained in management – to more successfully recruit, train and retain their workforce. 

It offers a range of resources and information that help leaders to develop messaging for recruiting volunteers, understand different roles, motivate and manage volunteers, and plan for future workforce needs.   

The toolkit has been used by organisations around Australia. For example, it was referred to in the Volunteer Recruitment Roadmap used by the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), says Dr Catharine Phillips, Assistant Director Strategic Volunteer and Youth Programs, DFES. 

Throughout the year, the DFES uses the practical Roadmap resources as best-practice guidance for recruitment and retention in its presentations to internal stakeholders, such as volunteer leaders and regional staff across Western Australia, and to external groups, including Association executives, volunteering peak bodies like Volunteering WA, and national forums.  

It is also using the resources to develop a tailored suite of diversity and inclusion materials.  

“We use the evidence-based Roadmap resources as best-practice guidance for recruitment and retention in our presentations to internal stakeholders—such as volunteer leaders and regional staff across Western Australia—and to external groups, including Association executives, volunteering peak bodies like Volunteering WA, and national forums.” 

Dr Catharine Phillips, Assistant Director Strategic Volunteer and Youth Programs, DFES

Acknowledging our funders and partners:

• Emergency Management Victoria  
• Queensland Fire and Emergency Services  
• Inspector-General for Emergency Management (Vic) 
• Department of Fire and Emergency Services (WA) 
• NSW SES
• Department of Human Services (SA) 
• Country Fire Authority (Vic) 
• NSW Rural Fire Service 
• Victorian SES 
• SA Fire & Emergency Services Commission
• Australian Red Cross 
• AFAC 
• RMIT University
• University of Western Australia
• Curtin University