By William Howe
Walk into almost any fire station in America and ask the officers what keeps them up at night. You will hear familiar answers: Recruitment is difficult. Staffing remains a challenge. Budgets never seem to stretch far enough. Training requirements continue to increase. Community expectations grow every year. All while departments are being asked to do more than ever before.
Emergency response will always be our primary mission, but today’s fire service extends far beyond answering alarms. Departments participate in public safety events, career fairs, Fire Prevention Week programs, strategic planning sessions, accreditation efforts, apparatus committees, station design projects, community risk reduction initiatives, and an endless list of administrative responsibilities. Add in compliance requirements, policy reviews, data collection and NFPA-related documentation, and it quickly becomes clear that many departments are trying to accomplish 21st-century expectations with 20th-century staffing models.
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The challenge is not simply finding people to ride the apparatus; it’s finding people to accomplish everything else.
For years, we have looked outward for solutions. We discuss new recruitment strategies. We explore civilian positions. We consider consultants and outside contractors. Yet there is an underutilized resource sitting right in front of us: our retirees.
Help wanted
The fire service has always done a remarkable job of developing people throughout their careers. Then one day, after 30 years of service, we shake their hand, present a plaque, take a few photos and wish them well. In many cases, that is the last time the department truly taps into decades of experience and institutional knowledge.
That has never made much sense to me.
Throughout my career, I have seen retirees remain deeply invested in their departments and communities. Many still attend retiree breakfasts. Some stop by the station occasionally. Others volunteer with local organizations or stay involved with fire service associations. What they have in common is a desire to remain connected and continue contributing in some meaningful way. The problem is that we rarely create a path for them to do so.
Meanwhile, departments continue struggling with projects that consume staff hours and pull operational personnel away from daily responsibilities.
Continued committee involvement
Think about the last apparatus committee your department assembled. How many meetings did it require? How many specification reviews? How many hours were spent discussing hosebed configurations, compartment layouts, pump panels, seating arrangements and equipment mounting locations?
Now think about the station design committee that followed. Or the strategic planning committee. Or the recruitment committee. Or the accreditation work group. Or the community outreach team preparing for a public safety event. Every one of those projects requires time. More importantly, they require experience.
Many departments end up assigning those responsibilities to the same officers and firefighters who are already carrying significant operational workloads. Sometimes apparatus are placed out of service so personnel can attend meetings. Sometimes overtime is necessary to maintain minimum staffing. Sometimes important projects simply move more slowly than they should because there are not enough people available to move them forward.
Retirees can help fill that gap.
Imagine a retired captain serving on an apparatus committee. They have spent decades operating from engines and ladder trucks. They understand what worked on previous apparatus and what did not. They have the time to review specifications thoroughly and attend meetings that active personnel may struggle to fit into their schedules.
Imagine a retired battalion chief assisting with station design discussions. Perhaps they were involved in previous construction projects. They understand the operational workflow and can identify design considerations that younger personnel may overlook.
These individuals are not replacing active members. They are supporting them.
Documentation duties
One area where retirees could provide immediate value is assisting departments with policy development, documentation and compliance activities. Every fire service leader knows that standards and documentation requirements continue to grow. Keeping policies updated, maintaining records, organizing training documentation and preparing for reviews can consume hundreds of staff hours annually.
I often joke that departments could create an “NFPA helper” position. While the title may sound informal, the need is very real. An experienced retiree could assist with gathering documentation, organizing records, reviewing policies and helping departments stay ahead of administrative requirements. That support would allow operational personnel to focus on training, emergency response and serving the public.
Recruitment work
The value of retirees extends beyond paperwork and projects. They can play a critical role in recruitment. Departments attend career fairs, high school events and public safety expos throughout the year. These events are important, but they require staffing. Who better to represent the profession than someone who spent thirty years living it? Prospective firefighters often have questions that extend beyond salary and benefits. They want to know what the job is really like. They want to hear stories. They want to understand the sacrifices and rewards that come with a career in public safety. Retirees can provide that perspective in a way no brochure ever will.
Public education events
The same is true for public education events. Fire Prevention Week, community festivals, preparedness fairs, open houses and school programs are valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships with the public. They are also staffing-intensive. Retirees are well suited for these events because they bring credibility, experience and the time to represent the department without pulling companies out of service.
Tap into institutional knowledge
Many departments are led by chiefs who came from other parts of the country. These leaders often bring outstanding credentials and fresh perspectives. That outside experience can be incredibly valuable. What they may not possess is decades of local institutional knowledge. Again, retirees can help bridge that gap. They remember why stations were built where they are. They understand how response districts evolved. They recall previous attempts to solve recurring problems. They know the history behind community relationships, operational decisions and organizational culture. In many ways, they serve as living archives for the department. That perspective becomes especially valuable during periods of growth and transition.
Some of the largest and most respected fire departments in the country have already shown us that staying connected after retirement benefits everyone. The FDNY has long supported active retiree organizations that keep former members engaged through mentoring, ceremonies, charitable work and preserving the department’s history. The Los Angeles County Fire Department has similarly maintained strong retiree associations that continue to support recruitment events, museums, public education and community outreach. Many other departments, both large and small, have retirees serving with honor guards, historical committees, peer support teams, foundations and firefighter museums.
Maintaining purpose
Perhaps the most important reason to engage retirees, however, has nothing to do with staffing, committees or administrative projects. It has to do with purpose.
For most firefighters, this profession becomes far more than a job. It becomes part of their identity. The friendships, traditions, routines and shared experiences shape who we are. We spend holidays together. We raise families around shift schedules. We build careers measured not in years but in calls, fires, promotions and stations.
Then one day it ends. The gear is cleaned out. The locker is emptied. The radio is turned in. For some retirees, the transition is smooth. For others, it can be surprisingly difficult.
I have watched firefighters who spent decades serving their communities struggle to find the same sense of purpose they once experienced at the firehouse. The work that defined much of their adult life suddenly disappears. A robust retiree engagement program can help address that challenge.
Providing opportunities for retirees to mentor, volunteer, advise, teach and contribute helps maintain the connections that many firefighters miss after leaving the job. It reinforces that they are still valued members of the fire service family. In return, departments gain access to an incredible pool of experience, knowledge and dedication.
Where to begin
Start by identifying a retiree coordinator, perhaps within training, administration or the chief’s office. That individual will be responsible for maintaining a list of retirees who are interested in remaining involved and matches them with projects as needs arise. It costs very little, yet it immediately creates a bridge between experience and opportunity. From there, departments can start small.
Invite a retired captain to sit on an apparatus specification committee. Ask a former battalion chief who helped build stations years ago to review plans for the next firehouse. Have a retired prevention officer assist with Fire Prevention Week while active companies remain available for emergency calls. Let a retired instructor represent the department at career fairs, high school recruiting events, or community safety days. Pair newly promoted company officers with retired chief officers who can serve as mentors during their first year of leadership.
The program itself does not need to be complicated. Start with a handful of retirees. Develop clear expectations. Allow active members to remain responsible for operational decisions while retirees serve in advisory, mentoring, planning and community support roles. As trust grows, so will participation.
Waiting for the call
The fire service is constantly searching for ways to solve complex problems, and we spend significant time and money looking for solutions. Perhaps one of the most practical solutions has been sitting quietly in coffee shops, fishing boats, golf carts, volunteer organizations and retiree breakfasts all along — our retired firefighters, company officers, chief officers, mechanics, instructors, inspectors and other specialists who still have something to offer. Many are looking for purpose. Many miss the camaraderie. Many would gladly give back to the profession that shaped their lives.
Not every retiree will want to participate. Not every department will need the same type of program. But there is tremendous value in creating meaningful opportunities for those who wish to remain involved.
The turnout gear may be hung up. The experience is not.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William R. Howe is a public safety professional, educator, emergency manager and public health practitioner with nearly four decades of service. After serving in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 2000, Howe spent more than 24 years with the Sarasota County (Florida) Fire Department as a firefighter-paramedic, building a 27-year career in the fire service. He also spent more than 15 years in education at Suncoast Technical College, formerly Sarasota Technical Institute, serving as lead EMT instructor and adjunct paramedic instructor. Howe currently serves as logistics chief for the Tampa Bay Health and Medical Preparedness Coalition, managing response logistics, preparedness initiatives and deployment operations in support of the Florida Department of Health and Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Howe earned a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration with concentrations in homeland security and emergency management from St. Petersburg College. And he holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Florida College of Public Health with a focus on global health and humanitarian assistance, and a minor in infectious control.
