This article was published in the Pottstown Mercury on December 10, 2020.
A local fire company’s campaign to grow its base of volunteers is getting regional recognition in the public relations sector. Ringing Hill Fire Company’s volunteer recruitment and retention campaign won a Ladle in the Community Relations category at the Pepperpot Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Philadelphia Chapter. The campaign was submitted by PR Specialist Kellie Dietrich, who developed the campaign, from The Communication Solutions Group, Inc.
“I was excited and honored that our work for Ringing Hill Fire Company garnered recognition in the Philadelphia public relations community,” said Dietrich.
After receiving a Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Ringing Hill Fire Company hired The Communication Solutions Group, a full-service public relations and marketing firm based in Jenkintown, Pa., to run the campaign.
The goal of the campaign was to increase the fire company’s volunteer base utilizing a new website www.JoinRingingHill.org, social media management and ad targeting, printed recruitment materials, public relations and face-to-face recruitment. The target audience was anyone in Ringing Hill Fire Co.’s boundary in Lower Pottsgrove Township, between the ages of 16-45 who would be interested in training to become a volunteer firefighter, junior firefighter, fire police or auxiliary member.
Before Ringing Hill Fire Company’s volunteer recruitment campaign began, they had a total of 29 members. Their goal was to obtain five new members per year over a four-year period for 20 new volunteers. In the campaigns first nine months, Ringing Hill exceeded its goal by bringing on 26 new firefighters, and 44 volunteer inquiries.
“Kellie’s knowledge in the recruitment realm has helped Ringing Hill Fire Company uphold our motto of ‘Reaching New Heights at the Hill,’” said Derek Dry, assistant chief and recruitment and retention committee chair. “Without Kellie and her team’s hard work, we would not have been able to gain the quality and quantity of new members that we have. We look forward to working with Communication Solutions in the remaining years of our grant to strengthen our volunteer base and help people reach their full potential at Ringing Hill.”
Held annually, the PRSA Pepperpot Awards recognizes the best PR campaigns, tactics and professionals in the Philadelphia region. This year’s event was held virtually on December 1 and featured a special guest appearance by CBS 3 news anchor Ukee Washington.
The Communication Solutions Group, Inc., is a full-service marketing and public relations agency that has provided strategic communication support and volunteer recruitment for more than 30 fire and EMS companies in the Mid-Atlantic Region. To learn more about Communication Solutions’ services, please visit www.comsolutions.com.