The Forney Fire Department plans to hire six additional firefighters thanks to a federal grant from FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. In December 2012, the Forney Fire Department was awarded the $739,000 grant and is required to fill those positions in 90 days.
The Forney Fire Department plans to hire six additional firefighters thanks to a federal grant from FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. In December 2012, the Forney Fire Department was awarded the $739,000 grant and is required to fill those positions in 90 days.
The rigorous testing of the new recruits has begun. The applicant pool began with 112 recruits who first needed to complete a written exam. After the written portion of testing, the recruits were put through the physical agility test. Only 50 recruits advanced through to the agility test and all of them tested on Saturday, February 2, 2013.
The agility test began with a mile run that had to be completed in under 14 minutes and 15 seconds. After the mile run, the recruits climbed the massive 65' ladder atop Forney FD's Truck 1 that was raised on a 70 degree angle. Not your typical ladder, the rungs are spaced significantly more than a household ladder and there are remote control features at the foot of the ladder that control a hose at the top. The recruits had to climb to the top and back down in under 2 minutes and 31 seconds.
Exercises 3 through 6 include a hose lift, hose advance, equipment carry, and ladder removal and placement. Exercise 7 was a body drag where recruits had to drag or carry a 180 lb dummy 75 feet. The final exercise was loading hose onto a hose rack.
Recruits who advance through the agility training must now undergo stringent background checks to advance to the interview stage. The Forney Fire Department plans to make their final decisions on which recruits will be hired in March.
The additional firefighters will allow the Forney Fire Department to have seven firefighters per shift and have the capability of staffing an additional fire truck to respond to calls. In the past five years, the Forney Fire Department has seen a 142.1% increase in emergency calls, many within minutes of each other. The additional firefighters will also make the department NFPA 1720 compliant and meet the State of Texas requirement for two-in/two-out.
Recruits had to pass through eight different exercises;
Mile run under 14:15
Ladder climb under 2:31
Hose lift under :36
Hose Advance under :49
Equipment carry under 1:29
Ladder removal and placement under :20
Body carry under :55
Hose loading under 1:09
