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 candidate for membership was being ...
Read More »Can you rise to the challenge?
An article posted to FirefighterNation.com today outlines the challenges faced by volunteer fire departments in Pennsylvania in recruiting and retaining their members. Although these types of articles are becoming all too frequent, this one in particular is better than most ...
Read More »Got Cash for College?
A college education is one of the greatest gifts and rewards we can ever offer a volunteer firefighter. Giving them the opportunity to earn a college degree makes them more employable. Making them more employable offers them the opportunity to secure ...
Read More »Funk 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 addressing recruitment and retention in their region. With the help ...
Read More »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 to inadequate staffing may require more imagination and sheer will than it ...
Read More »Who Can Afford to Volunteer?
Who Can Afford to Volunteer? That's the question asked by Don Grogg, a commissioner for Harris County Emergency Service District No. 9 in Texas in this article titled: "Suburban Fire Districts Sound the Alarm" in the Houston Chronicle.
Read More »GREAT NEWS: SAFER Application Period Extended
In order for all potential applicants to have sufficient time to consider this revised policy guidance, DHS will extend the 2009 SAFER application period. The new application deadline will be 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Friday, January 15, 2010.
Read More »VFDs Get Creative About Recruiting
Allowing interested candidates to specialize as fire police or pump operators is a great way to spread the work load. As the article says, not everyone needs to be the person running into the burning building as all the sane people are running out.
Read More »SURVEY SAYS? FD Youth Programs
There's apparently a heated debate going on at FirefighterNation.com as to whether recruiting high school students to join the volunteer fire service, in whatever capacity, is a good idea.
Read More »VIDEO FILE: Erie County Boot Camp
I'll start at home with this link to our Boot Camp video developed by WKBW-TV (Channel 7 in Buffalo NY) which describes the 10-day intensive training that we offer every summer at the Erie County Fire Academy. This full length feature was first shown at the graduation ceremony for Boot Camp Class of 2006 during which it was filmed by WKBW Photographer Chris Couell and narrated by Pete Kenworthy, their news anchor who joined the Hamburg Volunteer Fire Department and was embedded in the class as a student.
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