From: Fire Departments Gone Wild.....

[WP42 0]

In recent years, I have recently come to the conclusion that no one under the age of 25 has any business being behind the wheel of an emergency vehicle. I know others who'd disagree but in my experience drivers under 25 just aren't responsible and too often they learn the hard way. To my 18 year old friends and colleagues on here, I make no apologies. You're too bloody young to handle the responsibilites and LIABILITIES that go with operating such vital machines. If you are a driver in your FD or VAC, give up the wheel for a few more years. You'll grow into the position soon enough, and you'll save some already-overburdened taxpayers some money on insurance costs.

235 How old where you when you first started driving for the FD and the VAC???? Do you have EVOC and are you currently a driver of your companys truck??

I think it is unfair to lable someone immature due to their age. I think that's where officers need to be officers and not just the person with a white shield. If your an officer then you should know your personnel, you should know who the firefighters are who should be allowed to drive and those who shouldn't. I can think of some people, in your dept., over 25 who shouldn't be driving trucks, and if your gonna say under 25 is too young to drive then how old is to old to drive?? are we going to set an age limit on that also?? In some depts. at certain times of the day the only people around to get the rigs out are those who are under 25, in my opinion under 25 is not too young. You'll become a better driver with training and experience, you know the same way you become a better FIREFIGHTER. For the record I am well over the age of 25 and a chief officer in my dept. which has several drivers under the age of 25 trained to drive several different pieces of apparatus and it has worked out well for us because they have gotten the proper training.So instead of looking at someone's age and discriminating you should look at the maturity and training!!!!!!! Its a better place to start......