I watched a video this week that started like some conversations in firehouses do — with frustration. A fire service instructor appeared to initially berate Millennials and Gen Z firefighters for not knowing basic skill sets.
But then, something happened:
He pivoted.
He acknowledged it’s not entirely their fault.
They were never taught the “why” or the “how.”
And he’s right. That’s on us, and it’s important to understand why that matters.
The Problem Isn’t the Recruits — It’s the Abandonment of Mentorship
Each generation is shaped by its context and reacts to or against the one before it. The Silent Generation, in many ways, laid the groundwork for the radical shifts led by their children, the Boomers. Perhaps a bit of a refresher is needed here.
🧓 Silent Generation (Born ~1928–1945)
Formative Events: Great Depression, World War II (as children), Post-war economic boom, McCarthyism / Red Scare
Core Values: Discipline, conformity, loyalty, and hard work, a Strong sense of civic duty, and respect for authority. More risk-averse, they often sought stability over innovation.
Cultural Impact: Helped build post-WWII institutions and infrastructure. Often, the quiet workhorses behind the booming middle class. Some became early voices in the Civil Rights Movement, though most were less rebellious than later generations
👶 Baby Boomers (Born ~1946–1964)
Formative Events: Economic prosperity, Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, Assassinations, Sexual Revolution, Moon landing
Core Values: Individualism, idealism, self-expression, Challenged authority and tradition during their youth, later became associated with consumerism and institutional power.
Cultural Impact: Drove massive cultural and economic change. Leaders in social revolutions of the 1960s and 70s, Woodstock helped shape modern politics, music, and technology industries.
👨💻 Generation X (Born ~1965–1980)
Formative Events: Cold War, Rise of personal computing, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Economic uncertainty, and increased divorce rates
Core Values: Independence, skepticism, self-reliance. Seen as pragmatic and resourceful, tend to be more cynical and less trusting of institutions
Cultural Impact: The first “digital migrants”—adapted to technology, created the foundation of internet culture, known as the “slacker” generation in youth, later emerged as key leaders in tech and business.
📱 Millennials (Born ~1981–1996)
Formative Events: 9/11 and War on Terror, Great Recession, Rise of the internet and smartphones, Social media and global connectivity
Core Values: Collaboration, inclusivity, and work-life balance, Value purpose over profit, Often challenge traditional career and life trajectories
Cultural Impact: Revolutionized communication and work culture, driving social change in areas like LGBTQ+ rights, climate action, often blamed (fairly or unfairly) for “killing” traditional industries
🤳 Gen Z (Born ~1997–2012)
Formative Events: COVID-19 pandemic, Climate anxiety, Political polarization, Social media dominance.
Core Values: Authenticity, mental health awareness, and digital fluency. Highly entrepreneurial and adaptive, more racially and gender inclusive than previous generations.
Cultural Impact: Leading edge of digital activism, Redefining work, identity, and social norms, often described as both highly aware and deeply anxious.
Let’s face it. We came up in a different world. We learned a different way…the hard way. Busted knuckles, bloody noses, scraped knees, and elbows, and Manual transmissions. We didn’t have YouTube, there were no digital cheat codes. You were expected to figure it out, sink or swim, and no one ever shed a tear or would lose any sleep over your failure.
But today’s recruits? Many of them grew up in a world that stripped away hands-on experiences. Shop classes vanished. Parents were working two jobs out of necessity. Risk was minimized at every turn. They’re not lazy. They’re not entitled. They’re untaught…And that’s on us.
Generations Don’t Just Grow Up — They’re Shaped
We “old timers” in the fire service — mostly Boomers and Gen Xers — were raised in a different psychological and social climate. We were the “latchkey kids,” the ones who learned grit by necessity. Life gave us fewer guardrails and more hard knocks. That forged a fierce independence, sometimes blunt communication, and sometimes a resentment of authority.
But Millennials and Gen Z?
They were raised in a world obsessed with safety, structure, and oversight.
They had scheduled playdates, standardized testing, and instant access to information. They were taught to ask why — and told that their feelings mattered. That doesn’t make them weak. It makes them different. Different doesn’t mean wrong. But it does mean we have to meet them where they are.
They’re digital natives. They crave context. They want to feel connected to the mission, not just ordered around. They’re more collaborative, and to their credit, more attuned to mental health, and more likely to ask for help, things our generation more often than not saw as soft.
But here’s a newsflash for you, ladies and gentlemen.
That’s the generation we’re handing the nozzle and the future of the fire service to.
Most importantly, it’s our job to teach them how to use it, without making them feel like failures for being born in a different time.
Firefighting Is a Craft, Not Just a Job
You can’t Google your way out of a flashover. You can’t YouTube your way through a mayday. The fireground demands instinct, teamwork, and trust — all things that are taught by mentors, not manuals.
You don’t learn the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of the fire service from a textbook. You learn it beside someone who cares enough to teach you the right way — even when that way may be hard, inconvenient, or slow.
Criticism Without Investment Is Cowardice
It’s easy to mock someone who can’t tie a knot or stretch a line fast enough.
It’s harder — and braver — to teach them how to do these things correctly.
To dare to care enough to explain the why.
To demonstrate patience and understanding without judgment.
To follow up, correct, and build confidence to build better firefighters.
That’s leadership.
That’s mentorship.
That’s the fire service at its very best.
The Next Generation Will Either Carry the Load — or Drop It
The future of our fire departments depends on these younger firefighters.
They will be the ones entering burning buildings, making split-second calls, and someday training the next wave behind them.
If we choose to criticize without mentoring, turn our backs, walk away in frustration or anger, we’re not just failing them, we fail ourselves, and we’re gambling with our entire profession.
They didn’t create the world they came up in. But they’re stepping into ours — the world of fire, risk, duty, and trust. They deserve leaders who don’t just lecture them, but show them.
Because in this job, the fire doesn’t teach.
We do.
Thank you for reading this installment of Behind The Alarm!
Check back next as we tackle another topic from behind the alarm. Have questions or suggestions? We’d love to hear from you!
This article first appeared in Behind The Alarm, the newsletter of Fred R. LaPoint, Fire Chief Paramedic of the Stronach Township Fire Department, on May 7, 2025. Read the original.