Can you afford to live without a live-in?
As many volunteer fire departments struggle to maintain adequate staffing, there’s still a long-standing solution available that is often overlooked. Like many of the challenges we face, the solution...
View ArticleWalking the Walk and Living it up like a Live-in!
I’m so intrigued by firehouse live-in programs that later this week, the FireRECRUITER is traveling to Hyattsville MD — home to one of the longest standing and most successful bunk in programs in the...
View ArticleFunk or Junk? Rockland’s Bravest
The FireRECRUITER’s helmet is off to my good friend and fellow recruiter Frank Hutton and Rockland County’s Creative Approach to the Fire Service Committee for putting forth a great effort in...
View ArticleLots to Tweet About
There’s been plenty to tweet about lately regarding recruitment and retention in the fire service. Some of the info shared is good news and some is bad news, regardless, it all contains lessons we can...
View Article“Day in the Life” Shows Service, Sacrifice
This great video from the Pontiac Michigan Fire Department depicts a day in the life of their firefighters, from leaving the house and their family in the morning to returning hours later to their...
View ArticleNVFC: Quantity of Volunteers is Down
According to this report released at NVFC.org, there were 44,000 fewer volunteer firefighters in 2010 compared to 2009, a reduction of 5.4 percent, according to the U.S. Fire Department Profile Through...
View ArticleBond of Brothers
I recently had the privilege of writing a feature article for Fire-Rescue Magazine outlining the importance of “Making the Citizen-Soldier-Firefighter Connection.” What started out as a vision for a...
View ArticleNVFC Launches new Junior Firefighter Recruitment Video
The National Volunteer Fire Council has launched a new recruitment video aimed at attracting young people to the volunteer fire service. Funded by a grant from Tyco, the video shares testimonials from...
View ArticleDHS Announces Veterans Hiring Program
In an effort to increase the number of military placed back in the workplace after active service, the US Department of Homeland Security has announced it’s latest initiative as part of the SAFER grant...
View ArticleBurning Question: Is a Co-Op Campaign Right for You?
Has your fire department ever considered conducting a co-op advertising and marketing program for recruiting new volunteers, promoting fire and life safety or just generally good public relations?...
View ArticleThe Jury is Out on Criminal Background Checks
As happens pretty frequently, I had a fire chief call recently to ask for some advice on what has become a bit of an arresting matter in his volunteer fire department. It appears that a prospective...
View ArticleDraft Choices
Volunteer fire departments, whether they realize it or not, compete for recruits. Sometimes with other volunteer fire departments but most often with a busy home life, other community organizations,...
View ArticleThe Hiring Pool is Open – Leland NC
Advertisement for Hiring Pool Leland Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department, Inc. is accepting applications for our 2013 hiring pool. This pool of applicants will be used to fill any part-time or full-time...
View ArticleRecruit your replacements. Train them well.
Given the national decline in experience-building fire load (aka-the work we do as firefighters), I’ve written before about the challenge of today’s fire service leaders to dig in and invest more in...
View ArticleOrange Beach Creates Resident Firefighter Program
Orange Beach, Alabama’s Fire Department has gotten creative with a bunk-in program that leads to real career opportunities. While other FDLiveIn.com-like programs may prepare you to take a paid...
View ArticleWhere there’s smoke…
Where there’s smoke…there’s a Delaware Volunteer Firefighter! proclaims this web site dedicated to recruiting more for their ranks. Delaware’s recruitment clearinghouse site does a great job of getting...
View ArticleIs reserving a name change right maneuver for volunteer firefighters?
While I appreciate that this chief gets the SoldierFirefighter connection, he also thinks Volunteer Firefighters need a name change to put us on par with our partners in the military reserves. What do...
View ArticleCRACKING THE CODE: Xbox™ Firefighters 14/04.20
In his article for Fast Company magazine titled: “4 Tips To Help Millennials Find Meaningful Work“, Adam Smiley Poswolsky makes the argument that young people want to do work with purpose: “They call...
View ArticleRecruitment Video of the Week: Perry Hi-Way VFD
This week’s recruitment video review comes from Perry Hi-Way Volunteer Hose Co. in Erie PA. While the video is very professionally done, I’m concerned with any public outreach that leads with the...
View ArticleGet Schooled on Recruiting High Schoolers
A recent online message from a firefighter friend prompted me to publish the recruitment insight I shared with him: Hey Tiger, I’m looking for help with our Recruitment and Retention Efforts . In the...
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