Dear Nozzlehead: I’m a 20-year member of the fire and EMS service. I teach EMS and fire to both probies and older personnel. Honestly, I would sometimes rather teach two completely different classes than mix the two generations. There are two mindsets: The electronic materials that keep the younger members awake and interested are expensive and tough to find; and the old company drills (the basics) never seem to get the attention they need–nor do the older members, because we seem to be so focused on the needs of the newer, younger members. Plus, there are older members who won’t use some of the new skills and procedures because they never needed them before. How do we find the middle ground?
–Jerked in Jersey
Dear Jerked
How’s your chicken? Nevermind.
What’s the matter? Tired of asking a young firefighter a question and having her TEXT MESSAGE : – ) you the answer? A generation gap, huh? Like that’s unique. Don’t you understand that the complaints we have with the gamers are the same complaints the old-timers had with us when we were probies? Well, sort of.
Do your younger firefighters seem to have just a little trouble PAYING ATTENTION? Nah, SIIS (say it isn’t so). Do they claim to forget to take their ADD/ADHD meds but then show up for training expecting you to work a miracle? Do they claim they can’t pay attention but then have NO trouble paying attention to news about the release of Grand Theft Auto IV? Nuh uuuuuh! Between them and the old firefighters who show up to class with their walkers and oxygen bottles, you DO have your hands full. Actually, jerky, your question is 2G2BT (too good to be true), ’cause I love this issue. So let’s see if ol’ Nozzlehead can give you the 411 on the generation gap. And as usual DWYTTTCMIIW (don’t waste your time trying to correct me if I’m wrong).
Technology is probably more to blame than anything else affecting the younger members–and it’s also confusing many older members! The younger generation is often referred to as the gamer generation. Why? Because they play electronic games every second that they’re not sleeping–and some manage to play games when they are sleeping. And man o’ woman (politically correct version for the previously used term “man o’ man”) are they different. This generation grew up with their fingers on a keyboard and an ear to the cell phone in a world that is far more “global” than ever before. And everything is instant. EVERYTHING!
One of my favorite ways to explain (and understand) the gamer generation of firefighters is to first examine the folks who were part of the “Greatest Generation”–those Americans who fought in World War II or kept the home front stable during the war. If you’re 50 or older, that was probably your folks or some of your friends’ folks. In my case it was my folks, Mama and Papa Nozzlehead.
Papa Nozzlehead (also known as Master Stream) was a WWII veteran who served his country proudly. Although he wasn’t born in the USA, he came here as a little boy became a citizen and ultimately a fiercely proud and patriotic American. And although he was shot and awarded the Purple Heart (among other recognitions for his service) while fighting for our freedom, he survived and returned to a country that genuinely appreciated what he and so many others did for the USA.
Some of those who survived the war (like Papa Nozzlehead) then went on to rebuild our country following the war–and did it take off! In his 1998 book “The Greatest Generation,” newsman Tom Brokaw wrote, “This is the greatest generation any society has produced.” He argued that the soldiers fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the right thing to do. We agree with him.
Another interesting trait of that generation: If you told them to do something, it got done. Right then. Pronto, with a salute and a smile. They did what was expected. That was the greatest generation and those were the fire officers who raised me when I started more than 35 years ago. Talk about a generation gap. They expected us to be like them, do what they said and never question authority. But it didn’t exactly work that way.
The years from 1960 and into the 1970s became known as the Counter Culture Era (the hippie generation) because the youths (yutes) rejected the old-fashioned American-as-apple-pie values and lifestyles. Our generation was no longer happy with being clones of the generation before us. Little did we know that they would become known as the greatest generation! Instead, young people wanted, demanded and even protested for change, change and more change. The changes affected lifestyles, values, laws, education, entertainment and human rights, and it also affected how we trained and operated in the fire service. The dream of love, peace, happiness and freedom to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, was what many people of my generation were looking for–and the biggest word in the firehouses became “Why?”
Fortunately, most of us figured out that although we were usually right to question the status quo outside the firehouse, we should have just shut up and done what we were told inside the firehouse. But we didn’t. We questioned EVERYTHING, and sometimes we did it just to do it. And it made our WWII-era lieutenants captains and chiefs insane. Who were WE to question what THEY told us?
The interesting times continued, but fortunately, somehow, some way, we grew under their leadership and created the fire service we have today. We took what the greatest generation gave us, screwed with it a little bit, and generally made it better–and ready to be passed on.
Naturally, there are aspects of the fire service that are worse off today–staffing, for one. Years ago, we saw photos of apparatus with 10 firefighters on the rig, ready to get to work at the next fire. Things look much different today, at least to us. Remember kids’ fire engine books that showed a dozen fire apparatus with loads of firefighters onboard hanging on to anything they could, heading to the fire? The pictures in those books are what the public thinks we can deliver. Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case due to funding cuts and other reasons. Local staffing is a huge generational gap issue!
So to recap, we met the greatest generation: the saluters who did what they were told, perfectly and with loads of pride, just because. Then we met the peace-sign-wearing long-haired hippies in bunker gear who questioned everything and were told to get haircuts. Some were actually told their mustaches didn’t meet regulations. Oh, the humanity! Many asked, “How does the length of a mustache affect how we put out fires?” Moments later, some members of the greatest generation showed the big-mouth probies exactly how, but federal regulations on hazing prohibit me from providing details on what happened next. So where does that leave us? With the gamers in the firehouses–the generation that’s texting you instead of SPEAKING to you. Can you read me now? Good. RMLB (read my lips baby).
These gamers are actually pretty cool. But don’t let their coolness fool you. They are smart. Real smart. Need an example? Remember the greatest-genners? Tell them to do something and they did it with a salute and smile. The hippies? They ignored you protested you questioned you went and smoked whatever they could find but eventually did what you asked or they challenged the system and got promoted or they became part of the system fighting “the man ” or ran for mayor. That actually explains a lot in many cities IYKWIMAITYD (if you know what I mean and I think you do).
When you tell the gamers to do something they will listen–with thumbs busy doing something else; ignore that, it can’t be stopped; their thumbs are like on crack or something, seriously–but they really will listen. The young firefighter (who probably has short hair) will listen and may even salute. They will say “Yessir, cap ” and you will feel good. They salute YOU! They respect YOU! They do EXACTLY what YOU tell them to do. Want to know what they do next? These gamer kids are so connected and so used to instant information that as soon as they salute you and walk away, they get on their iPhone their Blackberry or whatever they have and within 5 seconds of yes-sirring you, they’re online figuring out if what you told them is a FACT. In other words, the greatest generation had no way to determine if you were full of bull; the hippie generation automatically assumed you were full of bull; and the gamers in the firehouse will walk away and know within 10 seconds whether or not you actually are full of bull. That’s today’s young firefighter!
So where does that leave you and your question, jerky? Hopefully you now understand a little bit about why these generations are so different. So how do you instruct them? Well, since it’s probably impossible to separate and discriminate age groups without someone like the Rev. Al Sharpton going nuts, the answer is to offer a variety of mediums for instructing. Expose the older members to some of the new ways of learning, such as online video, YouTube, podcasting and other computer-based training. If they’re going to remain in this business for any significant period of time, they’ll continue to be exposed to these “new ways” of learning and delivering materials. Need an example? Go to YouTube and simply search “Fire Training ” “Fire Apparatus” or “Firefighter ” and show them what’s available and how they can learn from it. You can also show them the many firefighter safety- and training-related Web sites such as www. FirefighterCloseCalls.com www.VentEnter Search.com www.FirefighterNearMiss .com and www.ResponderSafety.com. With so many ways to learn from, anywhere, it’s time that everyone at every fire department understand the value of the www. But remember the www or any other electronic classroom-style training can never, and should never, replace hands-on practical training.
As far as the gamers and younger members of your class, company or department, they have many opportunities to learn, but following the classroom (using lecture as well as all the electronic and computer-based stuff I talked about above), nothing, and I really mean NOTHING, will teach them and train them to be a good firefighter better than hands-on training taught by experienced and trained instructors and officers. Explain to them that it’s the difference between seeing pictures of a human (or a digital human) whom they find attractive on the Internet vs. meeting that person in real heavy-breathing life. Which would they rather have? If they pick the electronic version you need to revisit your background and psychiatric evaluation policies.
And to quickly answer your question related to those who are not willing to learn new skills or procedures because they haven’t needed them before, leave the fire department. IMHO (in my humble opinion), QUIT (as in leave). Retire. Get out of the way. Go join the OMSADUAWC ASAP (old men sitting around drooling uncontrollably and whining club as soon as possible) because there has never been a time in the fire service when so much is changing. Due to technology and the Internet’s RIARN (rapid information available right now), new skills, new ideas and new ways of doing what we do come out minute by minute and quite frankly, TINWTPTJUYAWTKUWATC (there is no way to perform this job unless you are willing to keep up with all the changes). Actually, it’s not that bad. Decide to KAOM (keep an open mind) and understand that even with all the day-to-day changes, our basic mission remains solid.
Well, we sure hope that TIAOHBH (this information and opinion has been helpful) and we LFTSYS (look forward to seeing you soon). WHTBAWLOFF (well hasn’t THIS been a whole lot of friggin’ fun)? XOXOXO.
