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.
FireRescue1 readers share when they joined, what “ready” really means, and why leadership, mentoring and mental health support matter
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
The key for fire service leaders is finding – and maximizing – members’ strengths, even when they aren’t a perfect fit
From showing appreciation to explaining the “why,” there are several ways to help minimize attrition rates at your department
Bringing back family-focused values may be the enticement prospective members seek – or the glue that holds together the organization
The documents outline claims of repeated abuse, threats and ignored complaints involving a 16-year-old female junior firefighter at the Howe Volunteer Fire Department
Smith Valley Fire Chief Amy Beick says the moment highlights growing representation in the fire service and aims to inspire more women to join
Lillian Bonsignore draws on her 30-plus-year EMS career to spotlight the financial realities facing first responders
In Fort Worth, rising EMS attrition has prompted the fire department to shift crews to a 24/48 schedule
Volunteer fire departments across New York are pushing for legislation that could allow stipends of up to $12,000 a year as recruitment and retention struggles deepen
An 18-year-old Baker High School student is set on becoming a firefighter and EMT after joining the Baker City Fire Department’s new cadet program
Gov. Ned Lamont wants to create a mortgage assistance program and offer public college tuition waivers to police officers and firefighters with at least five years of service
MOST POPULAR
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- 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’