In-Person - Essentials of Volunteer Retention & Recruitment
2026-03-21 08:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Holthus Convention Center, 3130 Holen Ave, York, NE, 68467, United States
Many fire and EMS departments across the nation are struggling to find new volunteer members and retain their current members. This session discusses the challenges of recruiting volunteers, presents valuable research collected as part of the NVFC’s Make Me A Firefighter campaign, and offers ideas to help overcome recruiting challenges. Potential retention solutions and the importance of leadership will also be covered.
Instructor – Doug Cline
To register email Taylor Moore at taylor@nsvfa.org.

In-Person - EV/AFV Incident Management: Safety and Response Techniques
2026-03-21 09:00 - 17:00 | Rosalie Fire Dept, 16191 Hwy 71, Pisgah, AL, 35765, United States
As the number of electric vehicles on the roadways increases, it is important for first responders to understand how a response involving these types of vehicles is different than those with an internal combustion engine. This awareness and fundamentals course will introduce first responders to hybrid and electric vehicles, share data and resources, and equip first responders with the knowledge and tools to respond more safely when a hybrid or electric vehicle is involved in an incident. This training will require space outside for a hands-on component with an electric vehicle.
Instructor: Jeff Romines

In-Person - Volunteer Fire Service Culture: Essential Strategies for Success
2026-03-30 18:30 - 21:30 | Wyoming County Fire Training Center, 3651 Wethersfield Road, Warsaw, NY, 14569, United States
Volunteer Fire Service Culture: Essential Strategies for Success: The NVFC published the textbook Volunteer Fire Service Culture – Essential Strategies for Success as a guide to fire service leaders who desire to change their department’s culture and attitude towards personal health and safety. This training delves into key points from the guide to reinforce the need for change and provide a roadmap to improve the health and safety of volunteer fire and EMS responders.
Instructor: Tiger Schmittendorf

In-Person - Leadership for the Fire and Emergency Services
2026-04-21 18:30 - 21:30 | Wyoming County Fire Training Center, 3651 Wethersfield Road, Warsaw, NY, 14569, United States
Leadership for the Fire and Emergency Services: Quality leadership is essential for the fire and emergency services to accomplish the mission, improve member satisfaction, and best serve the community. This course examines leadership styles, qualities, ethics, and best practices to help your department function at a high level and avoid fire and emergency services leadership pitfalls. Retention research will also be discussed to help leaders understand retention concerns and identify solutions.
Instructor: Tiger Schmittendorf

In-Person - Teaching Hazmat Basics
2026-05-30 08:00 - 16:00 | Lanesborough Fire Department, 180 S Main Street, Lanesborough, MA, 01237, United States
This course covers the foundations of teaching hazmat response and safety. Attendees will learn how to connect their hazmat training to the risks faced by the student audience. They will walk away able to take a limited hazmat resource list and develop at least three practical skills trainings of direct benefit to their students. Finally, attendees will be able to develop training drills and/or exercises that meet the needs of their jurisdiction in accordance with recognized national standards.
Instructors: David Bullard and Freddie Bell

NVFC Training Summit
2026-06-26 - 2026-06-27 | Renaissance Arlington Capital View, 2800 South Potomac Ave., Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
The NVFC’s annual conference, the NVFC Training Summit, focuses on volunteer responder health, safety, recruitment, retention, and leadership. Participate in valuable classroom training and share ideas and best practices with emergency responders from across the U.S.
