Lt. Stephen Zachar, lead recruiter for the Memphis Fire Department, explains how the department rebuilt recruitment and retention by hiring EMS licensed candidates, fast-tracking recruits with Firefighter I, and using lateral hires to reduce academy time and overtime costs. Learn how the department hired 1,000-plus EMS licensed recruits from 42 states, increased local retention to 77%, saved upward of $2.4M in a year, and staffed a 57-station, 1,700-person department more efficiently. Stephen walks through Memphis’ interview and onboarding and demos ResponderGrid — a new recruiting and networking platform for candidates and agencies (www.respondergrid.com) — and describes how it connects applicants, recruiters, chiefs, and vendors. Visit www.joinmemphisfire.com to learn more.