Reporter Takes Physical Agility Test
A reporter took the Davenport Fire Department's physical agility test and then he wrote about his experience (from Quad-Cities Online).
DAVENPORT -- It's really a sandbag, but it's supposed to be a body. I have to drag it, all 150 pounds of it, by two straps over 100 feet to succeed. I grab it and get going.I'm not fresh. The ladder, the hydrant, and ax have already had their way with me. My hands are numb. My arms ache; my legs too. I'm wheezing, sweat-soaked. I want to puke.
It's just the length of the Davenport Central Fire Station's parking lot, but I might as well be dragging a Volkswagen to China. I'm vaguely aware of people shouting encouragement and the lieutenant following nearby, keeping time. Time. I started the test less than eight minutes ago, but I feel like I've never been doing anything else.
This is a good article that gives an outside perspective on a typical test.
Snohomish County Firefighter Sets World Record
This is a cool story about Firefighter Bill Eske from Washington (from komotv.com via US Fire).
MILL CREEK - A Snohomish County firefighter set a new world record Sunday for the most vertical feet ever climbed on a stair climber machine in a 24-hour period.He climbed the equivalent of more than nine miles straight uphill. That's like climbing Mt. Rainier more than three times in a row.
...
Ekse didn't put himself through all this just to get his name in a record book. He had inspiration.
His climb was in memory of his best friend, Chris Petterson, who died of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma eight years ago.
Ekse always wanted to do something special for him, so he turned the climb into a fundraiser for the Lukemia and Lymphoma Society. He raised nearly $4,000.
Way to go, Firefighter Eske!
Vermont Tackles Volunteer Firefighter Issue
Vermont lawmakers find themselves in a pickle regarding a bill that is intended to protect volunteer firefighters (from The Boston Globe).
MONTPELIER, Vt. --A bill to protect volunteer firefighters who suffer heart attacks in the line of duty also could jeopardize the fragile network of volunteers who staff the scores of rural fire houses around the state, lawmakers were told Wednesday.There are few requirements for someone to qualify for a position with a volunteer fire department, other than a willingness to serve. But if state law is changed as proposed, some warn that volunteers might have to face more stringent requirements regarding their health, physical abilities and age.
Read the whole article to get all of the details.
I can see where this would be a problem in South Dakota too. Should volunteer firefighters be in good shape to belong to a fire department? Absolutely. However, if that is required, there would be a lot fewer firefighters in our department. I would bet that would hold true for most volunteer fire departments.
A small community can't afford to lose a large number of its volunteer firefighters. There just aren't enough people in the community that are physically fit and willing to volunteer.
I'm not sure what the answer is. Perhaps fitness requirements could be phased in over several years allowing volunteer fire departments time to get their firefighters in good shape or recruit new members.
No Running in Fire Department in UK
This is just silly (from icCheshireOnline via FireFightingNews.com).
A BAN on running has been introduced at fire stations on Merseyside in a move union officials have branded "ludicrous".The edict prevents officers from working on circuit training or running machines during their shifts.
Many firefighters take part in such training when not involved in call-outs in order to maintain the high levels of fitness required in their professional lives.
But Chief Fire Officer Tony McGuirk has now banned any training involving running - after an injury to one firefighter resulted in a significant court payout.
Accidents happen. It is unfortunate that a firefighter was injured while running. However, a high level of fitness is required to do the job. That type of injury will probably never happen again in that particular department. Sheesh!
