Stop Saying Young People Don’t Want to Serve.
Before we blame Gen Z for our recruitment problems, there’s one question public safety needs to ask.
October 9, 2026
3:09 pm
Before we blame Gen Z for our recruitment problems, there’s one question public safety needs to ask.
Last month, I wrote about the role artificial intelligence should play in recruitment and retention. Since then, several chiefs have asked whether they should be using AI to create recruitment content. My answer is always yes. I use AI almost
Public safety is asking the wrong AI question. Here’s the one leaders should be asking.
Your recruitment problem may not be marketing. It may be Time, Fear, and Confusion. Discover why good volunteer fire, EMS, police, and sheriff candidates quietly disappear before taking the next step.
A recruitment and retention perspective for fire departments, police departments, and EMS agencies looking to turn summer interest into real members.
It’s not your culture. It’s what happens after someone raises their hand.
If a recruit shadowed your department tomorrow, would you like what they see?
You do not need more leads. You need a better first 72 hours. The difference between conversion and confusion happens immediately after someone clicks submit.
As 2025 wraps up, public safety departments are taking stock of the recruitment strategies that truly worked this year. From digital-first outreach to streamlined applications and authentic storytelling, these proven approaches are helping fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies build
Recruitment and retention don’t fail because leaders lack effort. They fail when organizations try to build the whole wall at once. As Will Smith puts it, you don’t start with the wall. You start with one brick, laid well, every
Once service gets into your blood, it never leaves. Many veterans trade one uniform for another, continuing their mission in fire, EMS, or law enforcement. This Veterans Day, your department has the chance to do more than say “thank you.”
Is your recruitment landing page losing leads? Discover how law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies can create mobile-first, user-friendly pages with clear calls to action, better visuals, and strategies that turn visitors into recruits