By Katie Carter

Last week I attended the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, Maryland with my dad. He’s been attending this annual event for many years; however, it was the first time I had ever attended. As we walked around it appeared that everyone knew my dad from the many lectures that he has given, and the many friendships that he has made over the years. This conference was definitely a lot of fun and holds a reserved spot in my calendar for next year.

Some of my dad’s comments in last week’s column about the "informal bull session" at the Expo, and what I had stated may have sparked some controversy among some firefighters. I must have really hit a home run or struck a raw nerve. One of the first to ring my phone for clarification was my dads Webmaster, Bruce Lukaszewicz. We discussed the conversations that took place in Baltimore and we both agreed that this definitely needed to be clarified in a column. I am just glad that someone thinks that I have something to say.

One night during the week I went to dinner at a local restaurant with my dad and several of his life long friends. They were discussing some of the things that have been going on in their lives and in the "world of fire." Bob Haskell from the Otis Air Force Base Fire Department and my dad became engaged in a conversation about how Bob and his son do not seem to listen to each other when they talk.

They both sat and pondered this for quite a while and neither seemed to have a clue about the answer. They wanted to know why people younger than they are weren’t listening either. They finally concluded that this is happening in many fire departments and maybe even the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI).

Suddenly my dad looked over at me and asked me what I thought about why younger people didn’t listen to them? I thought about this for a few minutes, realized I could always take the train home and gave him my answer, "why should we listen to you, if you don’t listen to us?" Well since that came out of my mouth, I haven’t heard the end of it. Many people are agreeing with me. Conversely many others have been offended by it. I understand that when you make a strong statement like that you must stick to it, and I plan to.

Nevertheless, I want to clarify what I meant so more people can understand my exact feelings. When I made the statement, I used the word "old" without taking account of my surroundings and the effect it would have on others. Probably a poor choice of words. My dad’s friend and Webmaster Bruce suggested that I explain what it was I was trying to say when I said "old". That is what I hope to do now.

In the context of our conversation in the restaurant, when I used the "old", I did not mean people who have a physical age beyond a certain time frame. When I said "old" I meant the people that are the veterans of the fire service, old in the sense of longevity. More than that, I mean people who only want to do things the old fashioned way. Some of these people have been doing things the same way for so long, that they cannot tell you why you should do something. They just tell you to do it because that is they way it is.

Let me explain my statement, "why should we listen to you, if you don’t listen to us?" In dealing with the members of the fire company, members of the Grange, and people in church, I have been exposed to many people and many interactions over a long period of time.

I am afraid that many things haven’t changed or improved because some people don’t think change is needed or obtainable. I believe that those people feel, "why change something if it worked for us for so long?" And they may be correct to a certain degree.

However when it comes to saving someone’s life, a different mindset needs to enter the picture. I believe we need change. New techniques, and advances in technology are being discovered every day to improve the fire service. We need to use these advances and techniques to our advantage. We need to take a proactive stand for change.

Many of the people that I met recently at the conference are strong supporters of the fire service, even though they aren’t able to enter burning buildings or perform in strenuous firefighting situations any longer. However, they are still needed.

They are needed for a different reason. We young people need the benefit of their education and experience. We need them to educate and affect the lives of new fire fighters, including myself. And they are also important to us because people like them are willing to look at new ways of doing things.

They were the type of people who were willing to listen to me and were willing to tell me why I should do something. The why of things is real important to younger people. People like Dad and his friends are still around and we are thankful for their time and dedication to the fire service that they now teach us. But if the time comes when they themselves cannot find betters ways of doing something, then they too might get hurt or die.

Like I said, "old" isn’t determined at a specific age in someone’s life. It is an attitude that can hit you at any age. Even a young person can have old thoughts if it means that they don’t want to change. I want to see people who can think going to fires with me.

I hope that now may others can understand my definition.

The commentary in this column does not necessarily reflect those of Firehouse.Com, Firehouse Magazine, their employees or parent company Cygnus Business Media. Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., MIFireE, is an internationally known municipal fire protection consultant and contributing editor to Firehouse Magazine. He recently retired as a Battalion Commander with the Newark, New Jersey Fire Department. His commentary appears regularly on Firehouse.Com. For more commentary and information, visit Carter's web site at www.harrycarter.com Harry has published several books available for online ordering, including Firefighting Strategy and Tactics and Management in the Fire Service