The Professional Volunteer Fire Department

Fire Engineering
Fire Engineering
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The Professional Volunteer Fire Department explores the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing volunteer fire departments. Hosted by Tom Merrill, the show features conversations with fire service leaders and guests about volunteer recruitment and retention, leadership, training, department culture, and what it means to be a professional in the volunteer fire service. Because being professional is about more than collecting a paycheck. Produced by Fire Engineering, which has been devoted to the training interests of firefighters since 1877. Get the latest fire service news, training insights, and updates from Fire Engineering: https://ow.ly/8PAe50ZTcmv

Episodes

  1. Oct 20

    The Choice Before Us: Deciding the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service

    What will determine the future of the volunteer fire service? Guest Mike Ledford joins Tom Merrill to challenge the excuses, outdated practices, and resistance to change that can hold volunteer departments back. Drawing on lessons from the Wilmore (KY) Fire Department, Assistant Chief Ledford discusses practical ways to strengthen recruitment and retention, from improving how prospective members connect with a department to establishing structured duty crews and maintaining high training standards. The conversation also examines the role of leadership, accountability, mentorship, and station culture in building a volunteer fire service that can meet the needs of its members and communities. Volunteer departments cannot afford to rely on the way things have always been done. The future depends on leaders who are willing to identify problems, develop solutions, and take action.

  • 1 Episode

About

The Professional Volunteer Fire Department explores the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing volunteer fire departments. Hosted by Tom Merrill, the show features conversations with fire service leaders and guests about volunteer recruitment and retention, leadership, training, department culture, and what it means to be a professional in the volunteer fire service. Because being professional is about more than collecting a paycheck. Produced by Fire Engineering, which has been devoted to the training interests of firefighters since 1877. Get the latest fire service news, training insights, and updates from Fire Engineering: https://ow.ly/8PAe50ZTcmv

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