Change of Times?

Change of times within the fire service with the "new age" fire service, with the highly educated kids coming from a four year college and a large influx of "other trades" switching over to the fire service due to economic downturn. The fire service has had a huge turn around in the last five years as to whom is applying for a basic firefighters job.

With this increase of different types of people applying for these positions where is the fire service going?

Can you see or even feel some back lash from some of the experienced "old timers". One main topic that I will touch on in which everyone knows my passion is, the general fitness level of firefighters, new and old!

Why are the "old timers" not wanting to buy into a physical fitness program designed to help them become healthy and live past retirement? Why do they always think someone is out to get them on something and make them look bad in front of others? Why is the topic of injury caused by working out always come into play? 

Can anyone tell me what it would cost a local fire department to have to come up with the funds to cover a Line of Duty Death? The service has senior people in departments all over the country that feel they shouldn't have to do anything physical while on duty or better yet while off duty to be physically prepared to do what is expected of them from the community that foots the bill to provide this career choice for them.

It would be the same folks family that would be standing there with there hand out or in line to get an attorney to sue the local department for not providing the proper training to their love one to be able to do the job effetely and not be a health risk to themselves or the members of the crew and department they worked for.

I listen to guys all the time make the best comments of them all " if they don't pay me I'm not doing anything off duty" " I will do P.T when they tell me I have to"

Why??

Why is it they don't take this CAREER as serious as they should? How come they don't carry themselves as athlete's? How come they could care less if you try to do active things through out the department and grow more folks interest to become a more ACTIVE department.

Is it cause they are stuck In the ways of the old times of do only what we "have" to? 
Is this because physical fitness was never really pushed in the fire service?

As the times change, year after year we should start to see a change in this, not just because of a Line of Duty Death. The fact that the cost of health insurance that will increase every year, departments will have to find ways to keep cost low! This means departments are going to have make EVERYONE get off the couch and do something active while on duty and OFF duty to better themselves maybe just maybe the fire service will become healthier as a whole.

NO EXCUSES no one cares!!
#getsome #1stduefit #elitenutritionconcepts

J.Brahm