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Fire Rescue ClassesJohn SmithRecruitment, RetentionSaturday, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PMSaturday, June 14Volunteer, Combination

Country Cooking: The Recipe For An Effective Rural Fire Department

By December 27, 2024January 14th, 2025No Comments

Country Cooking: The Recipe for an Effective Rural Fire Department

John R. Smith

Saturday, June 14, 2025  
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Rural Fire Departments are some of the least talked about fire departments in the fire service. In areas where call volumes are low, but risks are high, it’s important to maintain an interest and passion in the fire service, to keep your members trained and prepared to answer the call of duty at any time with what you have on hand. Using experience in a small-town fire department, this instructor will guide you through some of the challenges faced such as managing volunteers, recruitment, and retention, and maintaining a passion in the department when call volumes are down. When the risks are high and resources are low, this class will keep you prepared for life in a Rural Firehouse. While built around principles and practices of a rural volunteer station, many of the items covered speak to any size firehouse, career, volunteer, or combination.

John R. Smith

John Smith is the Volunteer Assistant Chief of Dillon County Fire Department Station 3 where he has served since 2013 in various positions including as the Chief and as a career Engineer/Paramedic. John began his career in the fire service as a volunteer, serving the community of Lake View in Dillon County. Since his career began, he has held many positions in public safety, including Current Past President of the Pee Dee Firefighter’s Association, DHEC CEP Instructor, Supervisor/Training Officer at Marion County EMS, SC Fire Academy Instructor, and volunteer with Mullins Fire Department. John is passionate about the culture of the fire service and the rural fire department’s place in it, as well as the role the volunteers play in serving these communities. John is a contributor for Firehouse Junkyard Dogs’ and co-host of the podcast “Fatboy’s Shop Talk”.