Recruitment and Retention Award

 

The Getzville Fire Company has built its recruitment and retention efforts around a simple goal: bringing people into the firehouse and turning first visits into lasting membership.

Through a mix of traditional outreach and modern recruitment tools, the department has created a welcoming path into volunteer fire service. RecruitNY events, annual open houses, blood drives and children’s activities encourage residents to interact directly with members and better understand the role of volunteer firefighters and emergency responders in the community.

Retention efforts focus on inclusion and family involvement. Department leadership emphasizes that volunteering is a family commitment, with events such as the annual Labor Day picnic and children’s Christmas party helping strengthen long-term connections among members, families and the fire company.

In 2025, Getzville introduced geo-tagged QR code recruitment flyers throughout the fire district. The codes directed potential applicants to the department website while tracking scan locations and activity, allowing the recruitment committee to identify hotspots and adjust outreach efforts in real time.

The strategy produced immediate results. Applications more than doubled from previous years, resulting in 13 new members by the end of 2025 — one of the department’s strongest recruitment years in recent memory.

Past Award Recipients

2025	Syosset Fire Department
2024	Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association
2023	Snyder Fire Department
2022	Woodgate Volunteer Fire Department
2021	Stewart Manor Fire Department
2020	Chatham Fire Department
2019	Albertson Hook & Ladder Engine & Hose Co. No. 1