FORT MYERS, Fla. — As Fort Myers continues to grow, the need for first responders is critical.
As your Fort Myers Community Correspondent, Miyoshi Price used her connections with the fire department to get a behind-the-scenes look at the physical tests new recruits undergo so the department can attract the best.
Recruits are putting their best foot forward to get a job at one of the eight fire stations in Fort Myers.
The City of Fort Myers Fire Department held two days of physical assessments to determine whether applicants have what it takes.
"Firefighting is not made to be easy," said Nirvana Martinez, a recruit. "You know you have to have the right mindset."
110 people came out for this physical assessment, and almost half were from Florida.
"You want to serve your community," said Amanda Mejias, a recruit.
Nirvana Martinez and Amanda Mejias live in Fort Myers.
The physical assessments they took part in included the aerial ladder climb, the dummy rescue and more.
"I was inspired to become a firefighter," Mejias said. "I was watching the Fort Myers fire department do this water safety training at our facility."
Fire Chief Tracy McMillion says his department gets about 500 calls a week, and he has enough people to serve the city now. But as it keeps growing, he wants to ensure his staff keeps up.
"We gotta have the right people in the right seats doing the right job," he said.
The next step is an interview, then hopefully, an offer and background checks.
But first, Nirvana and Amanda have to pass other evaluations.
"It's just basically an opportunity for them to kind of showcase who they are, what they bring to the table, physically," McMillion said.
All of the recruits are hoping to make it to the next round.
"It's an honor to be in this position, you know, to test for any department," Nirvana said. "So I'm just thankful that I have that opportunity to challenge myself."
