This program is designed to address one of the biggest issue facing the American fire service, recruitment and retention. The foundation of this program is based on a 14-year period of The Colony Fire Department in which turnover was less than 2% and recruiting attracted highly qualified firefighter paramedics. The class will discuss an exercise called The Colony Project that identified formal organizational influences, informal influences (the culture), threats, opportunities, and people. It will discuss culture in detail, how culture influences recruitment and retention, and a process for modifying the culture. Participants will be provided with real-world insight and tools that have proven effective such as social media and recruitment advertisements.