Question

Requirements and Procedures for Firefighter Candidates

Tracy Wilson

Prerequisites

1 To begin the firefighter testing process, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Have a good driving record.
3. Possess the mental and physical health to perform the duties of a firefighter.
4. Be willing to submit to routine drug screenings both as a possible candidate (prior to hiring) and as a certified firefighter (after hiring).


Other Requirements

2 You are required to obtain an emergency medical technician (EMT) certificate within one year of original employment date. This includes dispatchers, certified firefighters, and engine drivers. Classes will be offered through the Training Academy or at your local community college.

The Written Test

3 The written examination is a 100 question test, consisting of two parts. Part one is based on the Firefighting I Manual that is given to each person at the time the application is picked up from the Personnel Department. Questions are asked about material in that study guide. Study guides are prohibited during the written examination. Part two is designed to test your ability to read and comprehend the texts and other written materials used to train Firefighter Candidates during the Training Academy. Basic math skills are also tested to determine if candidates have the ability to make computations during the training period and on fire scenes.

Physical Ability and Endurance Testing

4 Only applicants who successfully complete the written exam with a 75% or better are scheduled to take the Firefighter Candidates Physical Ability and Endurance Test. Applicants must be in top physical condition in order to be competitive.

5 The test is a sequence of timed trials requiring you to progress along a predetermined path from task to task continuously. This test was developed to allow fire departments to obtain pools of trainable candidates who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire scenes. This is a pass/fail test based on a validated maximum total time of 10 minutes and 20 seconds. In these events, you wear a 50-pound vest to simulate the weight of self-contained breathing apparatus and firefighter protective clothing. An additional 25 pounds, using two 12.5 pound weights that simulate a high-rise pack (hose bundle), is added to your shoulders for the stair-climb event. Throughout the test, candidates must wear long pants, a hard hat with chin strap, work gloves and footwear with no open heel or toe. Watches and loose or restrictive jewelry are not permitted.

Hiring Procedures

6 The names of candidates who pass both the written and the physical endurance test are placed on an eligibility list ranking scores from highest to lowest. This list is certified for one year. It can be extended at the discretion of the Personnel Department. Potential new hires are selected by an interview board that draws from the certified eligibility list.

7 All applicants who are selected for hiring must successfully complete a recruit training program at the Fire Department Training Academy. The Training Academy lasts 15 weeks. Those who successfully complete the training program are placed at stations as probationary firefighters for the remainder of the one year probationary period. During the probationary period, additional training will be provided.

Based on information in the passage it can be concluded that, during the one-year probationary period, a firefighter
A) can participate in a 15-week Fire Department Training Academy.
B) must have obtained an Emergency Medical Technician certificate.
C) should have passed both the written and physical endurance tests.
D) will receive a guarantee that he or she will be hired on a permanent basis.

Answer 1

B

Step-by-step explanation:

must have obtained an emergency medical technician certificate

Answer 2

Based on information in the passage it can be concluded that, during the one-year probationary period, a firefighter must have obtained an Emergency Medical Technician certificate.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the requirements to be a firefighter, the process follows very specific steps prior to be hire and after being hired, then the probationary year starts at the moment of being hired, During this year they will take the 15 week fire department training course, as an obligation not a possibility, and option B is the only one that occurs during the probationary year.