I took particular interest in the sample best practice document titled "Pledge to My Peers" that frankly, is appropriate to "kids of all ages" in our fire departments.
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 »X-Box Firefighters
I wrote a magazine article for FASNY’s The Volunteer Firefighter titled: “From the X-Box to the Box Alarm” that addresses today’s generation of firefighters and firefighter candidates. Given recent news articles and discussions, I think it’s relevant to revisit and ...
Read More »PA Dips in the Fountain of Youth for Recruits
Here’s a link to a news story on FirefighterNation.com about some volunteer fire departments in Pennsylvania who are teaming up to reach out to local high school students for new recruits. Managed, trained and nurtured properly, Explorers and Junior Firefighters can be ...
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