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.
Getting a junior firefighter program off the ground requires policies, advisors and serious commitment – but it’s all worth it
HOW TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER
Make a good impression and launch your firefighter career on the right foot with these tips for probationary firefighters
The firefighter’s written exam covers everything from a math skills review to a personality assessment
Firefighter salaries and benefits vary by location and rank.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
FireRescue1 invites you to share your voice — incidents that changed you, personal stories of challenges and perseverance, and other unique reflections
Line officers stepping into administrative roles face a culture shock — and a steep learning curve — that rarely gets addressed
Part of building crew unity is taking the opportunity to have some fun, but there must be room for training – plus all those EMS calls
The engineer serves several roles, from equipment checks to throwing ladders, medic assists and more
The week starts with motivation, weaves through myriad activities, and concludes with a restorative weekend – and possibly some duty officer work
24 hours filled with constant alerts, plus meetings, training and little sleep
It’s one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs in the fire service
A Monday to Sunday breakdown of what’s it’s like to serve as a fire chief for a mid-size fire department
COMPLETE COVERAGE
A proposed move from a 24/48 to a 24/72 schedule is gaining momentum after more than 86% of surveyed Lubbock residents backed the change
Baker City Fire Chief Michael Carlson is kicking off a new cadet program for students ages 14–19, offering hands-on fire and EMS training
The Greater Flagstaff Region will overhaul its firefighter academy by folding Firefighter I and II certification into training, expanding the program and reducing entry barriers
A disabled veteran claims Boston’s new fire cadet program unlawfully sidesteps veterans on the civil service list, lowers academy standards
Union leaders and Bethlehem residents are urging officials to add firefighters after an IAFF study found staffing below NFPA recommendations and response times short of national benchmarks
Chronic understaffing left only one engine available when a massive fire destroyed two Amherst apartment buildings, causing heavy reliance on mutual aid
Getting inside the teenage brain to engage new recruits
The FEMA SAFER grant will help ensure four-person minimum crews and support safe two-in, two-out operations
Columbia County Fire Recruit Kalif Leslie Daly became ill during physical training and later died at a hospital
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer’s plan includes a 4% across-the-board raise for firefighters to help recruit and retain staff amid hundreds of vacancies
MOST POPULAR
- 3 dead, others wounded in shooting at Wis. school
- FDNY commissioner resigns day after Zohran Mamdani mayoral win
- Mayday: Houston firefighter killed in collapse at commercial structure fire
- Pa. firefighter dies responding to structure fire
- Va. county bans FD from responding to calls, citing ‘operational deficiencies’