In today’s tight economy, the training budget often takes the first and deepest cuts, so it’s important to get the most out of training dollars. Technicians are expected to be experts on anything that comes through the door, and the ever-changing technology requires that constant training just to stay up to date with advancements. And there’s always the need for refresher training for those problems technicians don’t often come across.

Technicians can go directly to the manufacturer for training, as most of them have training classes in place. But these classes are costly and they fill up fast. Teaming with neighboring agencies can be a better and cheaper alternative.

Local mechanics associations have monthly, quarterly or annual training events. If your state doesn’t have one, a neighboring state is likely to. Illinois, Ohio, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, California, Washington and Colorado, among others, all have emergency vehicle technician associations.

If your area doesn’t have one, form one. Here are a few relatively easy steps to get started.

Step 1] Find like-minded individuals in neighboring to form the core of the association.

Step 2] Decide what exactly you want to do with your organization and set up your basic constitution and bylaws. This will be a very important step in registering with the state and Internal Revenue Service for recognition and tax-free status.

Step 3] Start a Web site. The process is cheaper than it used to be, and you may be able to find somebody who will do it for free. The site will be a central location to advertise training events and to list links, vendors, member news and more.

Step 4] Set the training length and date. The most important decision will be how long training event will last. Whether an event lasts a few hours or a few days, call around to neighboring associations to make sure that your event does not conflict with theirs. The most immediate issue would be that a vendor can only be in one place at a time. If another agency has booked a trainer already, then you may have a hard time finding a replacement.

Step 5] Locate a facility. For a small training session, a local department training center/repair shop may work well. For a large event or an event that goes on for several days, you may want to find a larger facility. Some agencies use local fire academies in their down season or rent halls and classrooms at hotels. It might be a good idea to block off a large chunk of rooms at a local hotel, even if you are not using it for classes. In blocking off the rooms you will most likely be able to negotiate a cheaper group rate for your traveling members. If you rent enough rooms, the hotel may throw in rooms for free, be it a banquet hall, classrooms, hospitality suite or the like.

Step 6] Locate trainers. This may be the most time consuming. Start with the larger apparatus companies. Most of these corporations have training dollars set aside. It’s just a matter of asking the right person. Don’t give up if you don’t succeed right away. Keep making phone calls, wait on hold and leave messages — eventually it will pay off. Once you have started to fill in the lion share of your schedule, tap into local vendors.

Step 7] Find sponsors. Call local vendors, as many will have money set aside for marketing and advertisement. Offering an advertisement on the association Web site will sweeten the deal.

Step 8] Build a membership. It is easiest to approach a known, established organization and ask for their help. The local fire chiefs’ organization may provide you with mailing/e-mail lists. These lists can generate fair return because they the names of chiefs and technicians looking for quality, inexpensive training. Also contact local apparatus dealers. They can join the association as both new members and sponsors.

When you finally approach prospective members, have some numbers figured out as far as an annual membership fee and separate training event fees. Keep the costs low. The lower you can keep the fees, the higher your turnouts should be, and the more sponsors you will end up with.

Step 9] Advertise like crazy. Keep sending e-mails and mailings out up until your event and then follow up afterward. People forget dates, and that little reminder will often go a long way toward boosting your numbers. Contact some of the local publications and ask them to run a copy of your advertisement. Most magazines have set aside some free space for the not-for-profit agencies.

Call around to other associations. They will usually offer advice or give you some contact numbers to get you started. This is a somewhat tedious process but it is also very rewarding. The contacts you will make, both with vendors and with fellow technicians, will make the process worthwhile. If you think that you want to start an association but after all of this you are just not sure, go to another states large training event and look around.

Ben Brown is the head mechanic for the Lisle-Woodridge (Ill.) Fire District. He also is a member of the Illinois Fire Mechanics Association, which will holding its annual seminar in October.