Kensington Volunteer Fire Department: Recruiting Volunteers With A Robust, Community-Focused Marketing Strategy
Agency 102 partnered with Kensington Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) to boost volunteer recruitment through a dynamic marketing strategy that includes website optimization, social media campaigns, and impactful video content.
The Opportunity
Recruiting Volunteer Firefighters in a Competitive Market
Kensington Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) is a 100% volunteer fire department that serves the town of Kensington, MD, and the surrounding areas. Like many volunteer departments nationwide, KVFD faced growing recruitment challenges in an increasingly competitive market, particularly within Montgomery County where multiple departments compete for the same volunteer audience.
While KVFD offered strong benefits, including free training and certifications, tuition assistance, and a live-in program, many prospective volunteers were unaware of these opportunities or lacked a clear understanding of what volunteering with the department truly looked like.
Agency 102 partnered with KVFD to develop an integrated recruitment and community engagement campaign designed to increase visibility, modernize the department’s digital presence, and create meaningful connections with prospective volunteers across multiple channels.
The Process
Building an Integrated Recruitment & Community Engagement Campaign
- Discovery and Stakeholder Interviews:
Agency 102 began the engagement with stakeholder interviews, recruitment discussions, and audits of KVFD’s existing website, social media presence, and marketing materials. This discovery phase helped identify messaging gaps, audience perceptions, and opportunities to better communicate the department’s culture, benefits, and impact within the community. - Authentic Content Creation:
To create a more human and relatable recruitment presence, Agency 102 organized on-site content days at the fire station, capturing photography, recruitment video footage, volunteer interviews, training activities, and community interactions. These assets became the foundation for ongoing storytelling across social media, digital advertising, recruitment campaigns, newsletters, and the department website. - Website Optimization & Recruitment Accessibility
Agency 102 updated KVFD’s WordPress website to improve user experience, streamline recruitment information, and strengthen search visibility. The updated experience made it easier for prospective volunteers to learn about opportunities, navigate the application process, and engage with the department online. - Social Media & Video Strategy
Agency 102 developed and managed an ongoing social media strategy combining organic content, paid advertising, recruitment-focused video, and recurring on-site content capture. Customized templates, campaign messaging, and platform optimization helped establish a more consistent and recognizable digital presence while significantly increasing reach, engagement, and volunteer interest. - Community Outreach & Retention Touchpoints
To support broader awareness and long-term engagement, the campaign also incorporated seasonal mailers, monthly newsletters, and volunteer recruitment information sessions. These efforts helped reinforce KVFD’s visibility within the community while creating approachable, low-pressure opportunities for prospective volunteers to connect with current members and learn more about joining the department.
Recruitment Video Production
As part of the campaign, Agency 102 scripted, filmed, and edited a flagship volunteer recruitment video that showcases the real experiences, culture, and impact of serving with KVFD. Featuring authentic footage of training, emergency-response preparation, and volunteer perspectives, the video was designed to build an emotional connection with prospective recruits while helping viewers better understand the department’s mission and opportunities. The recruitment video was prominently featured on the KVFD website’s homepage and used across digital marketing channels to strengthen recruitment efforts and increase engagement.
Short-Form Video Content & Community Storytelling
As part of KVFD’s ongoing social media strategy, Agency 102 developed and produced a consistent stream of short-form video content designed to increase engagement, strengthen community awareness, and humanize the volunteer experience. Content included volunteer spotlights, recruitment messaging, behind-the-scenes station life, training footage, emergency preparedness tips, seasonal safety education, and community event coverage.
Rather than relying on highly polished or scripted content, the strategy focused on authentic storytelling and on timely, relatable moments that reflected the department’s culture and impact. This approach helped increase audience engagement while making volunteer service feel more approachable and accessible to prospective recruits.
The short-form video strategy quickly became one of KVFD’s strongest-performing content categories, with top-performing videos generating more than 13,000 views organically while significantly increasing reach, engagement, and visibility across the department’s social media platforms.
Integrated Volunteer Recruitment Campaign Results
300 High-Quality Volunteer Leads
Generated via LinkedIn over three years.
367 Email Contacts
Grew KVFD’s new monthly email community newsletter to nearly 400 subscribers
106.7k Facebook Reach
From January 2026 to May 2026.
202.1k reach across all social media channels in 2025.
60 Volunteer Recruitment Event Attendees
Interested volunteers joined 4 volunteer information sessions we helped organize and promote.
19 Applicants Voted into Single Probationary Membership Class
The largest applicant class in KVFD history.
What KVFD Says
“The engagement has led to an increase in social media following, brand awareness, and recruitment numbers. Agency 102 is responsive, available, and communicative through emails, phone calls, and biweekly virtual meetings. They stand out for their expertise and collaborative approach.”
Dan HenningVP of Human Resources, Kensington Volunteer Fire Department
Driving Long-Term Recruitment & Community Impact
Since 2021, Agency 102 has partnered with KVFD to build a long-term recruitment and community engagement strategy designed specifically for the evolving challenges facing volunteer emergency services organizations.
Through a fully integrated marketing approach, Agency 102 helped modernize KVFD’s digital presence while creating stronger connections between the department and the community it serves. The campaign combined website optimization, recruitment video production, social media management, paid advertising, email marketing, seasonal mailers, and ongoing content creation to increase awareness, strengthen engagement, and create more accessible pathways for prospective volunteers to take action.
Rather than relying on short-term recruitment pushes, the strategy focused on creating sustained visibility and authentic storytelling that reflected the real experiences, culture, and impact of volunteering with KVFD. Consistent on-site content capture, volunteer spotlights, recruitment information sessions, and community-focused communications helped position the department as approachable, active, and deeply connected to the Kensington community.
The partnership continues to evolve into 2025 and beyond, supporting KVFD’s goals not only around volunteer recruitment but also fundraising, community engagement, and long-term organizational sustainability. As volunteer departments across the country face increasing recruitment pressures, KVFD’s campaign demonstrates how strategic, multi-channel marketing can help public safety organizations strengthen awareness, build trust, and inspire the next generation of volunteers.
Working with Agency 102 has made a real difference for the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department. Their team helps us modernize recruitment, refresh our messaging, and strengthen community outreach, leading to our largest volunteer class this year. They understand how to connect with the community and make volunteer service visible and rewarding. Highly recommend them to any fire department looking to grow and retain members. — John Kelly, Grants Chair, KVFD
