Becoming a firefighter is a calling and Escambia County took those certified by the state of Florida who sought to become an Escambia firefighter and tested them Monday to see if that calling will manifest.
Escambia County Fire Rescue held their physical abilities test June 15 where they took Florida-certified firefighters and tested them to see if they physically capable of becoming the ECFR’s next wave of firefighter recruits to fill 10 open spots.
“The first test they do is a 100-foot charged hose-line pull, (and) they have 23 seconds to complete that,” said ECFR Capt. Joel Richardson.
Applicants then moved on to the Keiser sled test, a device meant to simulate chopping through a roof, and were required to complete it within 47 seconds, according to Richardson.
Possibly the most demanding is the final test — the tower evolution.
“In there, they’ll pull two separate 2.5-inch hose lines. They’ll take a 2.5-inch high-rise hose up four floors, reach over and pull a roll of 50-foot hose on it up and over the top and then bring the high-rise section back down,” Richardson said. “When they get to the bottom, they’ll move over to our victim and remove him for approximately 20 feet, which weighs approximately 175 pounds.”
Throughout the test, which must be completed within five minutes and 40 seconds, all applicants are outfitted with their jacket, work gloves, helmet and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to simulate real-life applications.
Seven applicants passed the physical abilities test and an additional four qualified through prior equivalency training. The 11 candidates will be interviewed Tuesday to fill the 10 vacancies.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia County Fire Rescue tests recruits to fill 10 open spots
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
