FIREFIGHTER HOPEFULS TEST THEIR ENDURANCE

Next time someone starts bragging to you about their excellent physical condition, see if they can:

Deliver 50 blows with a six-pound sledge hammer while standing on a slanted ramp; then crawl through a maze of wooden rafters that resemble an attic without any part of their body slipping between the beams.

Next, drag 200 feet of 2-inch fire hose 200 feet; carry a 70-pound box up two flights of stairs and back down again; drag a 140-pound sandbag 120 feet; take a brief rest; and climb up and down a 70-foot, extended ladder.

Now consider completion of the tasks in seven minutes wearing a heavy coat, helmet, and self-contained breathing device that weighs about 45 pounds.

Sound like something from Mission Impossible, or perhaps something an drill sergeant might do for recreation?

But that's a sample of what 28 candidates endured Saturday, when they took the Phoenix Agility Test conducted by the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. The candidates were competing for three rookie firefighter positions to be filled later this month.

Fire Chief Gene Hindman said this is the first time the department has hired new firefighters since 1987.

Hindman said only 16 of the 28 candidates who took the test (many of them paid or volunteer firefighters with other departments), advanced to the final phase of the hiring process an oral interview later this month before a board of review.

Hindman said the six exercises, or tests, are meant to be grueling to insure the rookie firefighters who are finally hired can accomplish their job safely and efficiently.

"Firefighting involves extremely hard and skilled physical work, as well as handling emergency, life-or-death situations," said Hindman.

"Many times the physical and mental demands are underestimated. Demanding physical standards are absolutely necessary because firefighting does require a high level of physical fitness and mental alertness."

As an example, the chief said when the fire alarm sounds in the middle of the night, firefighters must awake from a sound sleep and be on their feet and running.

"You must be in good physical condition to protect yourself and other firefighters, and to accomplish your mission," he said. "That requires a strong mind and body."

Despite the tough physical and mental demands of the Phoenix test, 228 people applied for the job openings.

"I would say that speaks highly of the prestige and reputation our fire department has among other firefighters," the Hindman said.

He said the initial applications were screened, which reduced to 44 the number of candidates eligible for an 85-question examination.

Of those who passed the written test, 41 elected to take the Phoenix Agility Test Saturday.

Hindman said each part of the Phoenix test is related to firefighting jobs.

"To effectively ventilate the roof of a small building while standing on a slanted roof, a firefighter would have to chop the roof with his axe a minimum of 50 times to get through the roofing material," he said.

Hindman said in the event of a rescue it is not uncommon for a single firefighter to have to drag a victim from a building a distance of 120 feet or more. The 140-pound sandbag simulates the weight of an average adult victim.

He said the attic crawl tests the candidates' agility in climbing over and around the attic rafters without falling through the ceiling below.

The high-rise, or stand-pipe portion of the test proved to be the downfall for many of the candidates, Hindman said. But he noted that in the event of a multi-story building fire, firefighters are required to carry with them a 70-pound box containing fire hose, nozzles, connectors and other accessories.

When the fire truck arrives, it is not unusual for the firefighter who will operate the nozzle to have to pull at least 200 feet of hose with him, usually with no help, said Hindman.

After completing each of the agility tests within the seven-minute time limit, the candidates were allowed to rest 15 minutes to an hour, before climbing and descending a 70-foot ladder.

Finally, each candidate donned back-mounted air tanks and tape-covered face masks to simulate darkness and smoke and entered a darkened room.

"The ladder test determines whether or not a candidate can endure heights," said Hindman. "Wearing the covered face mask with tape over the front while breathing from the tank determines if the candidate is susceptible to claustrophobia."