Originally Posted by
tajm611
Yes. You're also assuming that every 16 year old would be that immature. I know I wasn't, I payed for my truck with my own money and had to buy my own gas so it stayed parked most of the time. That said, even the most responsible 16, 17, or 18 year old does not have the same driving experience to safely pilot fire apparatus. That's like giving a firefighter command of a fire ground because he has 1403. We have a requirement that you have to be 21 to drive ANY fire department vehicle, not because its an easy number but for the fact you'd have at least 4 years driving under your belt. It's not much but it's a hell of a lot better than 4 days or 4 months. This is ignoring the common sense fact that handing a 16 year old the keys to a honda accord and a fire apparatus are worlds apart and such an asinine comparison that it doesn't deserve discussion.
So allow them to drive a vehicle much, much larger, with not just everyone on the roads lives at stake but my crew and my self? So let them drive, code, in a vehicle they may not have any experience in dealing it, when it comes to weight, brakes, and turning?
Not a difficult choice at all, it's common sense. He/she learned, was tested, has experience in a passenger vehicle, he/she will drive a passenger vehicle.
It's not illogical at all. There is a huge gap in cognitive reasoning between 16 and 18. Are some 18 year olds stupid? Sure, but I'd like to put my money on the guy who has a little more experience. It's not crazy at all, it'd be crazy to think there isn't a difference between a 16 year old and an 18 and beyond.