• An IBM study “Making Change Work” of more than 1,500 practitioners worldwide found that only 59% of corporate projects miss at least one objective or fail entirely.
• In 2008, a McKinsey survey of 3,199 executives around the world found that only one transformation in three succeeds.
• An Economist Intelligence Unit study, sponsored by the Project Management Institute (PMI) found that less than half (46%) of executives their businesses are “excellent” or even “good” at executing initiatives and projects to deliver strategic results.
• A 2013 Towers Watson Change and Communication ROI Survey found that only one out of four respondents (25%) say they are able to sustain gains from their change management initiatives over the long-term.
• As you can see from these research results that making change stick is not easy. What can be done to improve on these results?

National Volunteer Week is coming up on April 10-16. This is a great opportunity to both recognize the achievements of your existing volunteers as well as alert the community to your department’s need for more recruits.

Volunteers are a crucial component of our nation’s fire service. 69 percent of firefighters are volunteers, and there are many additional volunteers providing support through local auxiliary programs such as Fire Corps or junior firefighter programs. However, a 2014 national survey by the NVFC showed 41 percent of respondents did not know if their local department used volunteers, and 79 percent did not know if their department was seeking new volunteers.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) recently launched the Make Me A Firefighter recruitment campaign to help raise awareness among the public of the need for volunteers as well as provide departments with the tools and resources they need to recruit new members. Departments can register for free at portal.nvfc.org to post your volunteer needs and access customizable outreach materials, ready-to-use PSAs, a recruit tracking tool, and more. The portal is designed to be your one-stop shop to implementing and managing a local recruitment campaign...

TargetSolutions, the leading provider of computer-based training management applications for public safety agencies, is honored to work with the IAFC’s Volunteer & Combination Officers Section for the 2016 Training Officer Recognition Award.

For the third year in a row, TargetSolutions will sponsor the annual distinction bestowed upon an individual who demonstrates innovation in firefighter training. The award acknowledges exemplary conduct befitting of a training officer and recognizes creativity and commitment to best practices.

“We’re excited to work with the VCOS once again and recognize a member of the fire service who is committed to providing personnel with the training they need to be safe and effective,” said TargetSolutions’ Director of Sales Jeff Oathout.

“We take training very seriously. We realize how critical it is to a department’s success and for us, partnering with the VCOS for the Training Officer Recognition Award is a tremendous opportunity to honor someone who shares that same commitment.”

Applications for the award are being accepted now through May 31. To make a nomination, go online to http://learn.targetsolutions.com/vcos-recognition-2016.

Please note, nominees should be chiefs, training officers, or others acquainted with training and must be an IAFC member, or come from a department where the department or the chief of the department, is an active IAFC member.

The winner of the award will receive a trip to San Antonio for Fire-Rescue International, which is scheduled Aug. 17-20. Round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations, as well as a plaque commemorating the award, will be presented to the winner.

Capt. Chip Everett of Oshtemo (MI) Township Fire Department and Asst. Chief Brad Pinsky (NY) of Manlius Fire Department won the prestigious award in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

In addition to the Training Officer Recognition Award, TargetSolutions is offering VCOS members a discount on the industry’s most powerful online training management system. Departments will receive $500 off TargetSolutions’ set-up fee, plus an additional 10 percent off user fees. If interested in this discount, please go online to http://learn.targetsolutions.com/iafc-vcos-membership-offer.

For more information on TargetSolutions, please contact them at (800) 840-8048.