HATFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA – FEBRUARY 25, 2020: The Colmar Fire Company is excited to announce a creative new initiative to recruit more volunteers into its growing ranks. Following up on the progress of launching its new recruitment-focused website in December-2018, the fire company embarked upon a project to create an animated recruitment video with its strategic partner, First Arriving, a Richmond VA headquartered marketing and technology company.

The four-part animated short will be officially launched on the fire company’s website: colmarfire.com and social media channels starting Wednesday, March 11th at 6pm, with subsequent launches at 6pm on the next three consecutive Wednesdays.

Creation of the animation was led by First Arriving’s animator Jonathan Weiss, creator of “The Call: A Portrait of America’s Volunteer Fire Service” – an Internet-favorite that provides insight into the value of the service volunteer firefighters deliver in the United States. An experienced animator, Weiss himself is a volunteer fire chief in Vermont.

Colmar’s Recruitment & Retention Coordinator, Asst. Chief Justin Tohanczyn saw “The Call” and knew that it was a format they wanted to use to tell the story of the great work their volunteers do in their community. That’s when he reached out to First Arriving to make it happen.

“First Arriving executed our vision for the videos better than we could have hoped for; the look, feel and storyline fit our mission perfectly,” Tohanczyn commented.

“We love it when our partners think big, and animation made this a big, fun project to help the small but growing Colmar Fire Company increase their ranks,” said Tiger Schmittendorf, vice president of strategic services for First Arriving and also a volunteer firefighter outside of Buffalo NY.

The animated clips follow three of Station 12’s firefighters, two males and a female from diverse backgrounds and occupations and tell the story of how they fit volunteer service into their busy lifestyles. The series answers the question of “Who answers the call for Colmar?” showing how each featured member is “just like you, except…” they’re also a Colmar volunteer firefighter who save lives, save property and save millions of tax dollars. Each video ends with sharing the call-to-action: “Do you hear the call?” along with the fire department’s website where interested individuals can sign up to learn more about serving. View the videos here: https://www.colmarfire.com/colmar-video-launch/

The all-volunteer fire company is currently seeking community-conscious citizens to serve as firefighters, junior firefighters (Ages 14-17), emergency medical technicians, fire police officers, driver/operators and support staff to perform critical but non-emergency roles such as event/fundraising coordinators, photographers, ladies auxiliary, data entry specialists and housekeeping and maintenance staff.

If you or someone you know is interested in joining their team, visit colmarfire.com to complete a simple online inquiry form, email [email protected] or call 215-822-1444 to learn more today.

ABOUT FIRST ARRIVING:
First Arriving is a full-service marketing and technology firm headquartered in Richmond VA that specializes in serving public safety agencies. They provide recruitment and retention strategy, online advertising, offline marketing, responsive websites, related training and resources, and award-winning recruitment videos and animations. Their team of 26 is led by experienced active volunteer firefighters and fire service leaders who are considered subject matter experts in the field of marketing and recruiting for fire and emergency services. Their client list includes the National Volunteer Fire Council, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Congressional Fire Services Institute, Keystone (PA) Volunteer Firefighters Recruitment Coalition, South Carolina Firefighters Association and the Maryland State Firemen’s Association. Visit their website at firstarriving.com. View “The Call: A Portrait of America’s Volunteer Fire Service” on YouTube here.