The universe has changed dramatically in the past 10 years and so has the way volunteer fire departments do business. There is no time to waste if we are going to stem the tide of revolving memberships. As it goes, “You snooze, you lose!”

But a basic approach to membership will lead to success and long-term growth. Think of it in terms of the four Rs: relationships, retention, results and recognition. And the sequence is important. Relationships lead to retention; retention improves results; results generate recognition.

Relationships always drive results. When an authentic, emotional bond is forged between a member and his or her department, it creates a strong tie for retention. This is the number-one key to having a successful volunteer fire department. All of the other things are nice, but the relationships formed, built, nurtured, shaped and twisted will make people want to stay more than any benefit or incentive provided. If you are not investing in relationship-building strategies and programs with your members, chances are you're losing them. Retention of valuable members is the hallmark of most successful departments.

As any junkyard full of old cars documents, relationships can't be static; they have a short shelf life because situations are constantly evolving. Look within to find what motivates you to achieve solid relationships. When you realize the importance of relationships to you, it will help you understand the importance of relationships in motivating someone to continue being an active and productive volunteer firefighter.

To achieve good relationships within our departments, we must make telling the truth a priority. There is no wiggle room. Telling the truth isn't the most popular virtue around, so mix it with kindness and success. Your members may not always like the truth, but they'll respect you for telling it.

A significant influence on relationships within an organization is leadership. Competent leaders recognize the value of tenured members. In those departments that have successful retention programs the leadership has been trained appropriately. Leadership can have a positive influence on relationships if they realize their potential impact.

All members a leader interacts with will want to know if they are important as individuals as well as part of the department. Never underestimate the positive effects that compassion can have on relationships. Creating a caring atmosphere is not a complex task. Simply treat others as you want to be treated or embrace the laws of cause and effect and believe that if you want the universe to take care of you, you must take care of it.

When you concern yourself with the welfare of others, you engender loyalty and respect, create value, and acquire additional power. An empathetic voice speaking in a hush can persuade and influence far more effectively than even the loudest invective launched in a rage. If your communication powers are lacking, remember the adage “people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” But be careful. Too many people in leadership positions confuse leniency with compassion. They believe it is humane to lower standards and bend rules.

Retention is the most critical driver of a fire department staffed by volunteers, paid-on-call or part-time personnel. A high priority is becoming a “glue stick” and making sure for the first year a new member is included and made to feel that donating his or her time is meaningful. Has a veteran member been assigned to stick to each new member like glue?

Benefits and incentives are important aspects of retention. Benefits are available for everyone and as such are not significant motivators. Incentives are tools used by leadership to motivate someone to do something or recognize the value of effort by providing rewards. Incentives when managed properly can become significant motivational tools and are a critical component of retention.

Results are all that really matter. Innovative thinking, solid presentations, overall teamwork and new ideas are all important ingredients for success.

Recognition leaves a lasting imprint with people. It's good common sense to recognize and reward faithful and loyal members who contribute to the department's overall success and have the potential to offer much more in terms of future growth. Recognition helps ensure the retention of your most-valued members and provides incentive for a standard of performance and appreciation.

Did you ever stop to think that a dog is the only animal that doesn't have to work for a living? What dogs understand is that they make friends by wagging their tails and demonstrating that they are glad to see you. They know by divine instinct that you can make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. People are not interested in you. They are not interested in me. They are interested in themselves, morning, noon and after dinner.

My father once told me that the most important word in your vocabulary is “we” but the word used most often by a person is “I.” If you are a leader, you should be worried about the “we” in your organization instead of the “I.” If we are merely trying to impress people and get people interested in us, we will never be successful at recognition and retention.

The easiest way to make friends is to greet people with animation and enthusiasm. Showing a genuine interest in others not only wins friends but also helps motivate those individuals to want to please a leader. By demonstrating genuine interest in an individual, you will create a sense of loyalty in that person.

There is one all-important law of human conduct. If we obey that law, we shall almost never get into trouble. That law, if obeyed, will bring us countless friends and constant happiness. It will also help recognize the individuals we lead. But the very instant that we break the law, we shall get into endless trouble. The law is this: Always make the other person feel important. The desire to feel important is the deepest urge in human nature.

Give recognition in a public forum as soon as the project or event is completed. Whether it's at the very next meeting or in the very next newsletter, “very next” is key. Also consider a quarterly awards night and invite family to attend.

Some people think that attracting a perfect volunteer is something that just happens to you or it's just a stroke of good luck that accounts for creating the right circumstances for your perfect volunteer to show up and knock on your door. That hasn't been my experience. It's an absolute fact that no one can guarantee that you (or anyone) can find your perfect volunteer.

What I've discovered is that there are some very simple things that you (or anyone) can do to dramatically increase the possibility of attracting a “perfect volunteer” into your volunteer fire department if that is something you truly want.

Figure out what you are looking for in a volunteer. It may not be what you think. Be clear and create your intentions for what you want. Learn to trust in yourself and your new abilities to discern what you truly want in a volunteer.

Let go of the things that don't serve you in creating the kind of relationships in your organization and department that you want. Use gratitude for healing the past and moving forward toward what you want. It's as simple the Golden Rule.

Tomorrow's success starts today and it will require an approach different from yesterday. The four Rs of membership can be the key points of a successful fire department staffed with volunteers.

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John M. Buckman III has served German Township (Ind.) Volunteer Fire Department for 34 years, 27 of those as chief. He's a course developer and resident instructor in the leadership and administration course at the National Fire Academy. Buckman is co-author of Recruiting, Training, and Maintaining Volunteer Firefighters, Third Edition. Buckman is a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the first volunteer chief to serve in that position in more than a dozen years.