No single generation has been as thoroughly dissected in the mainstream media before they have had a chance to prove their mettle as that group of people born between 1997 and 2012. Sure, there was the Greatest Generation, shaped by the Great Depression and lauded for their efforts in helping Europe defeat fascist-led Germany. They are the subject of an entire genre of film, after all! However, they weren’t labeled as such until 1998, when journalist Tom Brokaw coined the term with his book, “The Greatest Generation.” It was a bestseller, a wonderfully written testament to the American spirit.
Here’s the kicker – did you know the idea of defined generations lacks empirical support, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) warn that categorization along birth year lines should not be used in management decision-making? In fact, while I have relied on Pew Research Center’s well-regarded research material for my own presentations on Gen Z in the fire service, they, too, are committing to retreating from simple generational framing and instead performing age cohort comparison studies using historical data.
Why? Because facts matter. Gen Z is more ethnically and culturally diverse than any previous generation, which may impact the way they respond to surveys and other forms of data collection, so what is often interpreted as generational differences could actually be reflective of demographic traits.
Rethinking Generational Labels
Simply, statistical models do not support the idea of generational differences, despite the durability of that in lore, but rather reflect responses to the environment during a given period of time. While the folks at Pew Research Center are determining how to do more accurate and meaningful data analysis moving forward, those of us who look to understand generational differences in our firehouse and fireground management may need to adjust both our lens and our language.
Most of us go about our days not following a defined algorithm, but rather relying on habits, rules of thumb, and past experiences to guide our future expectations. We know we have a problem in the fire service, things are different and there don’t seem to be easy answers. Recruitment and retention can be a struggle, and the fire service is changing more rapidly than many veterans would like to see, including both the number and type of calls run and the volume of standards and even non-operational related SOPs.
For the sake of argument, let’s set aside the social construct arguments we have about generational differences. Instead, let’s take a look at the lifespan development of our youngest firefighters and how their interpretation of social changes (the same ones the rest of us are living through) is impacted by anatomy and physiology.
The Adolescent Brain on the Fireground
How our brains develop is in part the result of the experiences we have in life. How we respond to those experiences is impacted by our brain’s ability to process inputs. Thus, the younger we are, the less robust our brain processes are and the more difficult it is to process that information we take in.
One of the last parts of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, which sits behind your forehead. Casually referred to as the area of sober second thoughts, that’s the part of our noggin we use to make decisions. Not emotional responses or knee-jerk reflexes, but decisions based on analysis and interpretation. Think strategy and tactics, contemplation and consideration, and innovation. As a student, you may have heard of these tasks as part of executive functioning skills.
That strengthening of neural connections continues through someone’s mid-20s. So what does that mean for the years before then? Simply, it means your youngest firefighters have not fully developed the part of the brain required for such vital tasks as emotional regulation and risk assessment, planning, and making good judgments.
That is both why we can count on them to be willing to go into IDLH environments, but and why effective leadership of these young firefighters is so vital. And this brain development is no more different with Generation Z than it was with Millenials, Gen X, or Boomers.
Sleep, Stress, and the Science of Resilience
Simply, brains don’t reach full cognitive capacity until late adolescence, so to compare how a senior firefighter manages, or handles tasks, with that of someone under 25 is a fool’s errand.
Here’s more bad news for those folks managing young firefighters … disruptions to the sleep cycle during this final stage of brain maturation inhibit the development of key brain circuitry. Studies show that such disruptions to this fragile neurological process may have a long term impact on an individual’s mental health. Why? Because that prefrontal cortex houses our ability to make logical decisions and regulate our emotions, and categorize our memories.
Now, any firefighter engaged in shift work will have disruptions to their natural sleep cycle and even circadian rhythm misalignment by nature of the job, but as many departments are evaluating more sustainable shift work schedules, such as the modified Kelly (24/72) which maximizes recovery, supports circadian rhythm and reduces chances of burnout, that may no longer be a management problem. Until those changes occur in your own department, consider the unique needs of your youngest firefighters.
The Pandemic’s Hidden Legacy on Social Development
Generationalized beliefs are not new, though if you are blaming Gen Z for changes in the culture of your firehouse, you are engaging in a decades-old belief in “uniqueness bias” which is an illusion that you or your cohort are unique. You are not. The single overwhelming difference that you CAN find between the generations is in your members’ response to the restrictions placed on socializing during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Firefighters born in 2000 are on the “safe” size of Generation Z when it comes to being able to exercise strong social skills. But those that come after, particularly those just graduating high school in 2025, demonstrate far weaker social skills. Months and even years with online classes and blacked-out screens occurred during key social development years, and their neurodevelopmental trajectory suffered.
Coaching the Next Generation with Compassion and Clarity
Psychologist Erik Erikson labeled the stage of adolescence as the critical period for developing a sense of self, and highlighted that occurred in the context of others. Adolescents learn who they are, and who they want to be, through social interaction, and it is through these interactions that they pick up both verbal and non-verbal communication skills and cues, form deep and meaningful relationships with others, and even develop a sense of empathy, this last being a necessary virtue for an emergency responder.
And this lack of social skills can be attributed to the perfect storm of losing just what they needed to figure out who they are, especially in the context of others, without a fully developed prefrontal cortex to help them navigate life in that short but impactful period of time.
So how do you lead your youngest recruits – your newest nozzlemen and their backups? By meeting them where they are in their own development. Not necessarily leading them the way you were led when you were young and eager to knock down a fire or force a door, but in the way that considers both their anatomical and physiological development.
Be aware they may not lack face-to-face communication skills, they may misread social cues or take offense at jokes told in a sarcastic tone of voice. A successful officer will take a more coach-like approach to affirm and to provide feedback. More experienced firefighters can take on mentorship roles, modeling appropriate firehouse and scene behaviors, as well as healthy responses to the stresses of the job and the importance of active teamwork. Finally, by encouraging them to engage in healthy routines on days off by way of maintaining their physical fitness, developing sleep hygiene, and proper nutrition, leaders can help mitigate risk and promote resilience.
