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.
There are several ways to approach your recruitment efforts; which is the best option for your department?
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
City officials say the latest graduating class brings Troy’s fire force to full capacity, with continued investments in training
From Stewartville to St. Charles, families are carrying on decades-long traditions of volunteer firefighting as departments rely on generational service
Utica Township Fire Protection District leaders told county commissioners the department has grown its volunteer ranks, improved training and is on track to be fully operational by 2026
Timothy Bertz realized his dream of becoming a St. Paul firefighter days before a sudden medical event took his life
A multi-department merger forming the South Madison Fire Territory will take effect Jan. 1, adding full-time staffing, hiring dozens of firefighters and medics
The St. Paul Fire Department is mourning firefighter Timothy Bertz, a military veteran and newly sworn recruit who died at home days after completing the academy
Explore the most-popular resources of the year, from tactical guidance and command insights to station planning and wellness support
The FireRescue1 team found 10 standout videos that capture the mission, culture and evolving expectations of the job — and we want to hear which you like the best!
Facing the challenges of a volunteer model, the Orwell Fire Department is hiring part-time firefighters to ensure consistent two-person staffing
Firearms found in Baltimore FD trainee’s car after police respond to threats made against classmates
Police say a Baltimore City Fire Academy trainee threatened to “stack bodies” before classmates alerted instructors, leading officers to seize multiple firearms from his vehicle
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’