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Recruitment and Retention

Recruitment and retention is one of the most critical topics in the fire service, particularly the volunteer fire service, which has long been seeking to attract and maintain members. The recruitment and retention resource page provides critical content to help fire departments manage their personnel, from articles that inform prospective members are life as a volunteer to podcasts about recruitment best practices to new techniques being used to encourage new members, and so much more.

Chester and Blandford fire chiefs are looking at the feasibility of combined volunteer fire departments
One of the graduates, Probationary Firefighter Brian Sullivan, is the son of Lt. Christopher Sullivan of Ladder 111, who was last seen racing up the stairs inside 1 World Trade Center to help those still trapped inside
Fifteen members of the North College Hill Fire Department cited “poor performance” and “hostile actions” from certain city leaders as factors in the resignations
The HERo Girls Fire Camp empowers young women through hands-on experiences
Is there such a thing as “too old to serve”?
Participants learn a variety of skills to expose them to the fire service and build confidence
Goshen students will have the ability to transfer credits toward an associate’s degree in fire science
Firefighters get real about one of the biggest issues facing the industry and how to fix it
It’s time to reevaluate our SOPs, eliminate insular groups, and see traditions as an honor, not an anchor
Decatur Fire & Rescue usually does lateral hires to fill firefighter positions
“I’m still pretty badass at 75, but I wish I had done it sooner,” Mary Jarschke said as she prepares to graduate as a volunteer firefighter
The issue of age isn’t a simple problem to solve, particularly in the volunteer fire service that’s struggling for members
Grant County Fire District 7 saw a 25% increase in calls, purchased new apparatus and nearly doubled its number of volunteers
Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott opposes to going to a firefighter-based EMS model
Test how your personality aligns with the motivation, teamwork and key character traits that exemplify firefighters around the world
Tucson Firefighter Cyprian Ortiz saw a familiar face on his first day as captain — his sister Captain Crystal Ortiz
The Senate bill would allow small city, county departments to hire retired firefighters for chief officer positions
A consolidation plan in Sunbury will cover everything from leadership, staffing and apparatus to avoid duplication of services and improve costs, training
Plaistow’s program was launched in Oct. 2022 and has seen its number of junior firefighters more than double
The FireRescue1 community considers what is driving high stress and staffing challenges
The low number of female firefighters has led the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire to use a more standardized, widely used physical exam
Success in the firefighter interview is about far more than answering the questions
FireRescue1’s newest board members share personal passions and insights about what’s to come in the new year
Firefighters from Colonial Park, Paxtonia and Linglestown fire companies can register for 4, 8 or 12-hour shifts, earning $10 per hour
Gresham firefighters reported various hazardous conditions, including sewage leaks and and lack of protective sleeping quarters
Life lessons and the spirit of volunteerism, community are the heart of the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department
Interim Sebastopol Fire Chief Jack Piccinini wrote to city officials, politicians and the media about the challenges in the department