Chief Kevin Quinn: ‘If you do retention right, you don’t have a recruitment problem’

Recruitment and retention are critical issues impacting fire departments across the country, and while it’s important to level up our efforts there, Deputy Chief (ret.) Kevin Quinn emphasizes a third R – replacement, as in, succession planning. Chief Quinn, who served for over 40 years on the board of the NVFC, certainly understands the importance of such long-term vision and planning, as he has mentored and empowered countless emerging leaders throughout his career. It’s one of the reasons Quinn was recently recognized with the CFSI/Motorola Solutions Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award. We talk with Quinn about the award, his impactful career, plus all this:

• The final goal he hopes to achieve in the final stretch of his fire service career
• Elevating volunteers above “second-class citizen” status in the fire service
• The need for unity across fire service organizations
• The one certification he wasn’t interested in getting during his career
• Maintaining the sizzle factor and the juggle factor

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.

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