CCCF Community Impact Story: Always on Call
In 2018, CCCF awarded Kidder Township a grant for a project to recruit and retain members for their volunteer emergency services teams. ‘Always on Call’ was created to encourage community support for the emergency services of Kidder Township Carbon County. The series examines the needs of the community as told by the local first responders.
Film creator Dave Figenshu told us, “As a former fire fighter, I felt that these communities shared a similar challenge that we never faced in the fire service in the ‘70s and ‘80s–recruiting and retaining volunteers.”
Volunteer emergency service providers often form a tight-knit community, hosting many social and recreational events throughout the year. “Firefighting is a vital service, but I tried to show other aspects of the fire service community,” said Figenshu.
Now that the film series is created, the next step will be to make sure it is seen within the community. While other options are being explored, the video is being shared online. “Social media distribution allows us to target a broad audience, without the cost and commitment to a broadcast /cable schedule,” Figenshu said. Although Kidder Township has taken the initiative to create these videos, the need to attract new first responders is a county and state-wide need.
The video series has gained over 3,000 views and can be accessed below.