Frontline resource · Recruitment

Public safety recruitment: police, fire and deputies

Recruiting has become harder for many public safety agencies, and every recruit represents months of investment. The agencies that recruit well treat it as a system — from first contact to the end of probation — and protect that investment by keeping the people they hire.

Last reviewed · 3 min read · Frontline for Public Safety

Fix the hiring pipeline first

  • Measure time from application to offer and find where candidates drop out
  • Run testing, backgrounds and exams in parallel where possible
  • Assign a contact to every applicant and communicate at each stage
  • Review disqualifiers and minimum requirements against current needs
  • Offer testing dates and locations that fit working applicants

Recruit from the community

Explorer and cadet programs, community college partnerships, military transition programs and ride-along or station visits help people picture themselves in the job. The COPS Office and national associations publish recruitment guidance and examples from agencies of all sizes.

Your people are your best recruiters

Applicants trust what officers and firefighters say about their workplace. If current staff are burned out or frustrated, that message travels faster than any campaign. Culture and retention are recruitment strategy.

Protect the investment

Frontline helps agencies keep the people they worked hard to hire: confidential one-on-one support through 360 Advantage, and Frontline Pulse check-ins that give leadership an early view of how new and veteran staff are doing.

Sources and further reading

Retention doesn't start when someone resigns.

Learn how Frontline helps public safety organizations support their people and identify workforce concerns earlier.