SWAN LAKE, NY — As January closed out, the Sullivan County Bureau of Fire hosted a Recruitment & Retention Coordinators’ Workshop at the Emergency Training Center.

The workshop was grant-funded by the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Workforce Solutions, and instructors from around the country and locally shared ideas about the skills necessary to bring in and keep quality volunteers.

“Participants were able to come away with a plan – specific to their department – to recruit and retain members, which is a crucial activity for all of our volunteer agencies,” said Deputy Public Safety Commissioner and Sullivan County Fire Coordinator John Hauschild, himself a firefighter and longtime member of the Jeffersonville FD. 

Attendees included members from Sullivan County Bureau of Fire, Sullivan County Bureau of EMS, EMS agencies, fire departments and even Pennsylvania first responders.

The Bureau of Fire will host another workshop February 24-25, called “Helping Members Find Their Spark Through Mentoring.” If you are a member of a fire department or EMS squad and would like to attend, you can find information on registering at https://sullivanny.us/Departments/Fire/Training.