Roanoke County revises fire and rescue volunteer program to facilitate recruitment
Roanoke, County, Virginia – Roanoke County is set to implement modifications to its fire and rescue volunteer incentive program, in an endeavor to streamline its operations and enhance its effectiveness.
The county’s Board of Supervisors has given unanimous approval for the revision, intending to simplify the program for the dual benefits of both the volunteer participants and the administrative personnel tasked with tracking eligibility. As part of this newly ratified scheme, the monetary reward volunteers receive at the year’s end will see a considerable boost, increasing to $599 from the erstwhile $500.
During the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, it was articulated that such a volunteer program serves to facilitate recruitment processes for the department’s full-time positions. Jason Peters, one of the supervisors, remarked, “It’s harder and harder to recruit for career staff, so in my opinion, it’s been really nice to have a ready-made system of people that can flow into it as we’ve experienced over the last 20-25 years.”
It’s noteworthy that the adjustments made to the program will not necessitate an increase in funding. The revised program will operate within the existing budgetary allocation of $150,000, thus maintaining fiscal prudence while boosting the incentive structure.
