I am realizing more and more there is a large disconnect between the older "Veteran" members and the newer (0-5, heck 10yr) recruits. As I look around on training night I see two groups. There are the ones (same every week) that take firefight training to heart. They strive to improve and learn and help those around them that might be lacking in certain areas. They train to prepare themselves for the unknown, as many have yet to "feel the heat". The ones that are consistently taking courses as if their life depends on it, Oh wait, it does. Only to look across the hall on Monday night to see another group shooting the ... breeze. Laughing and joking without a care in the world.
Slowly the the enthusiasm starts to diminish and questions arise, "Why don't they train?", "are they laughing at us, because we are breaking a sweat?", “Why do we have to train if they don't?" Oops, almost forgot a group, the ones who show up on meeting night to devour some snacks, crack jokes and offer complaints, but no solutions.
I have often thought of ways to correct the problems. I’ve tried to encourage the veterans to help the newbie’s. Give them some insight to what they may expect. This quickly was shot down as the "latest to learn" group would interject "but that's not how we were taught!" "Its safer to do it this way" or "that's the old way, its changed now".
Soon the bickering escalates and the famous line is spoken.... "We've always done it this way, its always worked, we're NOT changing". And that's that! Suddenly its The Old against the New! The rookies holding fast to training and strategies recently provided by structured lessons, and the elder’s sticking to "I've been in the department longer than you've been alive."
How do we break this internal self-destructive cycle? The disconnect spills into company operations and response. As members are discouraged to learn because in the long run ... everyone is allowed to go to the scene, regardless if they have met NFPA guidelines. (I don't even want to tackle the method of arriving to the incident. We'll leave that for another post)
We need to work TOGETHER and promote learning! Fires have changed, and so has the technology and methods of attack. As safety, early warning devices and prevention education continues to improve, the number of on-the-job learning experiences diminish. Along with it, are the opportunities that once held us together as ONE!
Suggestions welcomed.