Recruitment and Retention

Recruitment and retention of personnel is one of the greatest challenges facing the nation's volunteer emergency services. With a declining number of young people living in rural areas and increasing training standards, leaders in many emergency services agencies are struggling to recruit and retain the next generation of volunteer responders.

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Tell Congress to Fund Fire and EMS Station Construction!

U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Mike Bost (R-IL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced legislation (H.R. 3728) that would authorize a one-time, $1 billion appropriation to fund construction and refurbishment of fire and EMS stations. Contact your U.S. Representative today and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3728!

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Tell Congress to Fully Fund the AFG and SAFER Grants!

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs provide direct assistance to local fire and EMS agencies to help them purchase equipment, training, and apparatus, as well as recruit and retain career and volunteer personnel. AFG and SAFER are authorized at $750 million per year but were only funded at $360 million in FY 2021. Use the NVFC's Legislative Action Center to tell your U.S. Representative and Senators to fully fund AFG and SAFER at $750 million each in FY 2022!

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