Are Millennials Really the Problem?

Mentoring. It has become the most underrated and forgotten skill on the job today. It’s easy for those of us who earned our spot to sit back and say, “That rookie is stupid. Send him home” or “That rookie isn’t worth my time. She doesn’t love the job.” However, have we ever sat back and thought to ourselves that we were the problem? That the millennial, kid, idiot or whatever we call the rookie is what we describe because of us?

The lack of mentoring is killing the fire service today. When we were rookies, those old heads were saying the same thing about us. The difference is that, although they would complain, they then would bring us to the floor and drill us until we couldn’t see straight. They would make us smart, make us worth their time, make us a firefighter and make us love the job. There was no choice. They had a job to do as senior members, and they did it. That’s the tradition that we must keep alive today—and more than ever, to be honest.

Shape their career

Think about this: When rookies hit the station, we normally tell them, “You owe us everything. We gave you a job,” but has there been any thought that they don’t owe us? When they hit the station, they earned their spot. They passed the written exam, the physical assessment, the lie detector test, the panel interview and the chief interview. They don’t owe us anything other than an open mind and hard work. It is we who owe them everything. We must teach the love of the job. Everything has changed in this world, and we must change, too. We must understand that some of these kids are coming to us with no real-life experience. Some never folded the laundry, mowed the front yard or worked a real job. That’s not our fault, but it is our problem. It’s our job to teach them, to grow them, to show them the ropes and to make them a firefighter.

They are learning in fire schools all over the world that their safety is No. 1 on the fireground. No! We must remind them of their oath, teach them that the citizens come first and train them to be prepared to give everything that they have on scene for the citizens who they serve.

Path for success

Here is a simple outline that I developed on how to shape the career of rookies:

Make them proud
Ask about their life
Ask them how they learn
Love them
Do your damn job!

Following this process, I have seen a difference in how I personally approach a rookie who is hitting the station.

Make them proud. On a rookie’s first morning, I sit them on the front bumper of the apparatus and explain the significance of it, I explain how sacred that the front bumper is.

Ask about their life. Build a relationship. By doing this, your words and teachings will mean more to them over the days and weeks of their rookie year.

Ask them how they learn. If you don’t know how to lay things out for them, how can you affectively teach them?

Love them. You can’t say “brotherhood” and “sisterhood” and not live the concept.

Do your damn job! These rookies depend on us. Their families depend on us. The success of their career depends on us. We have a job to do as senior firefighters, so do it. If these rookies don’t want to love the job, then make them love it. Show them how to love it. Get invested in them, so they get invested in the job. Give them their chance, let them shoot their shot and show them the way.

Following these five steps sets you and your rookie on the path for success. Sets your rookie on the path of an outstanding career. The path to retirement years down the road. This is why we are called senior members. This is why the officers and chiefs look to us. After all, mentoring is why we are who we are today!

Every rookie is owed the opportunity to have a love affair with the job.

Jacob Johnson will present “Are Millennials Really the Problem?’’ at Firehouse Expo. For more information, visit firehouseexpo.com.