WHY

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Permalink Reply by Todd McKee on August 25, 2009 at 10:27pm

Hey Bro!

Nice post!
I deal with the new generation on a daily basis, if it is at the firehouse, the training academy, or with the University I teach at. There are days that I must hold my tongue and my actions towards them because of their actions or words. I take a deep breath and turn the negative into a positive. I passionately feel that it is our responsibility to guide and direct the new generation. They are the future to our fire service! I try to lead them in to battle and after they are broken, build them back up. If they make mistakes at the firehouse or on the fireground, I take the blame for not teaching them. In the class room I explain why it is important to be disciplined. This is a profession that people die, there needs to be a certain attitude on the grounds. If they do not have that attitude, they can always stock shelves at the local super market. I have never heard anyone dieing stocking shelves! However, if they do not know how to act, it is our fault!
Your friend,
Todd McKee

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Lafleur on August 26, 2009 at 8:45am

I agree, respectfully asking why is important. Too many variables to consider to just say "never" or "always".

Todd, I appreciate your stance the "new" generation thing, and I whole heartedly agree with you. Whining about the new generation and how different it is has become one of my pet peeves. Of course they're different, not the people, but the environment they're brought up in. It's not their fault, and it's not ours, but it is our responsibility to get em on track, and it's not as hard as some are making it out to be. "that's the way we've always done it" won't work with this bunch, and it shouldn't. Heck the old timers were saying the same thing about us when we started, and these guys will say the same thing about the new guys years from now.

One of the biggest changes I've seen that has made us have to change our training is the fact that in my area firefighters used to come mainly from the trades and the farms, they had a good knowledge base for working with their hands. I actually had to show 2 of our new guys what each tool in the tool box was (crescent, channel lock, phillips, etc) and the difference in 2 cycle and 4 cycle. It's not their fault, they can learn, but they have to be shown and we can't assume anything. Where this will really affect things is that so many of our calls are not firefighting, they are little old granny who smells something, and we have to trouble shoot. Without a little knowledge in electrical, AC, ballast's and such, we would be in a pickle. We really have to take the time with these guys when these situations pop up to take them through the steps. We can complain all day on what they don't know, but that won't help anything.

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