Ad Campaign Aims to Recruit Young Firefighters
By: Tina Shively
Updated: July 9, 2012
A statewide firefighters organization is targeting young people in a new campaign to increase the number of recruits.
Television commercials were the first part of the campaign, released back in June by the Fireman's Association of the State of New York, or FASNY.
It's called "Is There a Fire in You?" and the advertisements focus on the stories of two real-life firefighters chosen in a statewide casting call. The second phase include billboards. There are nine of them in the Rochester area.
The most recent ads were unveiled at five area movie theaters last week, similar to the TV commercials. The ads are also up on Facebook and Twitter pages. So why pick these specific mediums?
They're all popular among young people ages 18-30, an age group that departments across the state would love to see join the ranks.
FASNY Director, David Sweet became a firefighter in 1964. He said "When I initially got involved in the fire service you had to wait. There were more people that wanted to get in then there are today...The age of the current volunteers is growing and becoming physically unable to do the hard, strenuous work."
The campaign has a fourth phase. Recruitment billboards will go up near community colleges in August just before school starts.
A $4.2 million dollar grant helped pay for the campaign.
