Member retention in the volunteer fire service: An analysis of the impact of leadership

A majority of the fire service organizations in the United States depend upon volunteer members to staff their organizations, and carry out their missions. This study examined the issue of member retention in the volunteer fire service. This study identified a number of influences which were determined to have a negative impact upon an individual's decision to continue their organizational membership. This study also identified the fact that there is a limited amount of information on recruiting and retaining members for voluntary service. This study identified five major areas of negative impact within the volunteer fire service and presents recommended corrective actions to address each of these problem areas.