Is emergency management education undoing an age-old tradition in the American Fire Service? Has the time arrived to educate emergency managers in college classrooms rather than in twenty years of tactical operations experience? Over one hundred forty-three (143) institutions of higher education are now offering certificate or degree programs in emergency management with no tactical operations experience required for admission. Resistance by veteran law enforcement officers and fire fighters may have to be overcome if we are to prepare emergency managers with required skill sets. Dr. Tom Phelan explores the skills being taught to emergency management students and addresses the concerns of experienced first responders in accepting their leadership.