I've never like the idea of mandatory retirement ages, only because I know many older people who are fit as fiddles and sharp as tacks - and many younger people who need a little work, to put it diplomatically. I think a better idea, and one that I'd support enthusiastically, would be requiring a physical every so many years...FA's wouldn't need the stringent exams that pilots must undergo, but a certain level of fitness and strength should be displayed. We do undergo medical exams upon being hired (at least where I work - not sure if this is required by the FAA), in order to show that we're physically capable of doing the job. I would support a periodic revisiting of that...say every 5 years or so.

Well, not all firefighters are screened for mental health issues. Trust me on that one! Most, but not all, firefighters/etc are subject to critical incident stress debriefing after high-stress calls - and most airlines have similar programs in place for their FA's and other employees as well. Pilots are not screened for mental health issues either, though there are requirements that certain problems be reported. There is, however, some informal screening...FA trainees are closely observed for the 5 or 6 weeks in a fairly high-pressure environment - and some are invited to leave if behavioral problems crop up.

It seems obvious, but perhaps it isn't...very little of our initial training is spent covering service. Virtually all of it pertains to aircraft familiarization, emergency equipment operation and location on each aircraft, emergency management, first aid and CPR, evacuation procedures, etc. The time spent and topics covered are mandated by the FAA, and all FA's must pass written and practical exams on each aircraft and on each piece of emergency equipment. If you fail, you get one additional chance - fail that, and you're out.

As for requiring FA's to be licensed health care providers...well that's another ball of wax altogether. In the early days of commercial flight, most attendants were male stewards. There were no stewardesses, despite the steretypical images most of us know! It wasn't until some realized that nurses would be desirable that female stewardesses came along. And now, many airlines do lend some hiring preference to those with a healthcare background. I am a paramedic, but scope of practice would still limit what I can do for an ill or injured passenger on board one of my planes. Requiring us to be licensed providers would create quite a lot of issues: liability, the need for medical direction from MD's, the issues of crossing state and national borders - not to mention paying FA's the premium we'd deserve if we were all qualified in this manner. That's a hefty price to pay in your tickets, especially considering that medical emergencies are not terribly common in the air.

But that's not to say that we're without resources - our training, for one. Our emergency manuals also provide some direction for many medical issues that may crop up. We have quite a lot of equipment on board, including AED's (which have been successfully used on passengers at my airline). And US airlines have MedLink, which is invaluable! They can talk us through anything, give medical direction to others if medications need to be given/etc, can coordinate priority landings with EMS services on the ground, and more.

As for FA's being helpless...well, it can be scary I'm sure. I have a lot of experience dealing with medical emergencies, but dealing with them at 30,000ft and with limited equipment/medication and limited space, with no backup (EMS, hospitals) immediately available - all the while coordinating with the pilots and dealing with 100 other passengers - well yes, that can be scary, especially if you're looking at someone who is critically ill. I think helpless is an accurate word, since there is often little that can be done other than cross your fingers and land asap. But we deal as best we can, and some will be stronger in this area than others.