Cheltenham Township Goes Online To Recruit Volunteer Firefighters
CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) - Although Philadelphia's own Benjamin Franklin is considered the father of modern firefighting, fire companies in nearby Cheltenham have been having a problem attracting new volunteers.
So, they turned to a new source. And what better way to attract a new generation of volunteers than with YouTube videos?
With a $5,000 federal emergency management grant they got to attract recruits, Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County made and posted a series of short videos showing the joys and camaraderie of volunteer firefighting.
(Man #1 in video:) "The brotherhood, the sense of camaraderie -- that means women, too. Everybody cares about each other. Everybody wants to make sure everybody's safe..."
(Man #2:) "Training's fun -- we're all in this to enjoy ourselves. And this isn't just for the cameras, guys: be safe, we all have to come home..."
(Man #3:) "Out of 35 people, you just gained, say, 30 friends."
The videos, called "Do You Have What It Takes," went up Monday.
You can watch a sample at www.ctfd.net.
Reported by Pat Loeb, KYW Newsradio 1060
