Fire service “twentysomethings” are different
Brian E.R. Hyatt
Firefighter
Snohomish Co. Fire District 3
Monroe, Washington
Michael J. Ward`s “Teaching the Fire Force Twentysomethings” (Training Notebook, July and September 1994) is based on generalizations I feel may apply to a certain group of the baby busters but certainly not to those hired by the fire service. Lt. Ward cited several studies that claim twentysomethings are self-centered, cynical, materialistic boob-tube watchers who have the attention span of a grape.
I wonder if Lt. Ward has ever asked his recruits how many exams they took before being hired or how many of them camped out on city hall lawns vying for the right to apply for a job in the fire service. The testing process for firefighter is one of the most challenging I have ever seen or heard of, and I don`t believe anyone dedicating himself to the pursuit of the position should be allowed to be maligned by someone who hasn`t been a recruit in more than 20 years. The individuals being hired today are asked to learn more; are expected to be more efficient in their duties; and, in many departments, are held more accountable for their knowledge than their counterparts of 20 years ago.
I am not asking that Lt. Ward feel sorry for (writing his article on) the twentysomethings. In fact, many of the people I grew up with fit into the generalizations he cited. I just feel these generalizations don`t apply to many of the baby busters hired by the fire service.
