Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 12).....

My first quest to become a Chattanooga firefighter started the end of April 2007. I remember the test was in the middle of the week. I left midday and drove the 8 hours to Chattanooga. I had to take the written test.

The Ratchfords let me stay at their home. I arrived in Chattanooga late on Tuesday evening, and I left early Thursday (I had to return to work by noon, Thurs.) Wednesday was the test. And I was prepared. I had study guides, printed chapter notes, I even had three practice tests. I was ready. The test was a simple scantron test. I don't remember the number of questions, but I do know that it was one of the toughest test I had taken. I left the test room that day with high hopes. A few weeks later, I got the results.

I had passed. A 78. Not the best score, but still a pass. All that was left, was to wait for the next step.

In the meantime, Katrina and I packed the house and moved not once, but two times. Once to an apartment in Hixson, and then to our current home just down the street. It wouldn't be until July of 2007 that we had the next step in the process. The Physical Agility Test.

The agility test consisted of 10 obstacles that had to be completed in ten minutes. The first obstacle was a hose pull down to a cone. The second obstacle was picking up an elevator pack trotting it back down the hose pull lane, climbing up a set of stairs, and setting it down. The Third Stage involved pulling a hose up to a predetermined height. Because the hose was on a pulley system, the hose came up in three or four tugs. Back down the steps to the ladder raise. After that, up a ladder and then back down. We then had to carry a dumbbell up and down a flight of stairs. We then headed over to the chopping station. Hit a tire with a sledge hammer from one end of the table to the other. From there we ran a short distance down and around a tower. At the end of the run we had to climb over a short wall. Next came the tunnel crawl. The test ended with a dummy drag. I completed the test in 3 minutes. Not bad for my first time.

I then waited for the next step. I still had no idea when or what would come next. I was working Mornings at WDEF. This gave me the afternoons to mow grass with Jamie. We made big plans that Summer...both of us thinking that I would be a firefighter really soon. Everyday I checked the mailbox, and everyday I would leave disappointed. Finally,in early August, I got a piece of mail scheduling my interview. I remember sprinting over to Jamie's house (really far because he lived next door) to show him the letter. My interview was scheduled in September.

The day of the interview arrived. I had prepared myself by finding and answering interview questions online. I printed off some resumes, and headed to the interview. Jamie had me thinking that there would be a panel of folks in the interview room. I was lucky. On that day, there were two folks, and both new Jamie very well. The very last question they asked, was a the very last question I found online. I nailed the answer and left the interview confident as ever. There was no doubt, that I would be in the next academy.

September 2007 was my interview date. The next contact I had from the fire department was April 2008. I did nothing but sit by the mailbox and wait. I was also very lucky. My part time job at WDEF turned into a full time position in the evenings. I had even picked up extra work as an Audio Editor at Life Care Centers of America in Cleveland. Then in April (2008) I received bad news. I had not been chosen for the next firefighter academy. I was crushed, but determined. I told myself that I was going to get in the next one. I would work harder, run faster, and be prepared. In some ways, not getting in was actually a good thing. At the end of that month (April), I picked up my new favorite instrument...the bass guitar. I even got to play at Riverbend (a music festival located along the river in downtown Chattanooga).



Failing the first time was not going to stop me from trying again. And sure enough, a few weeks later, I received another letter. I had to retake the written test. My second attempt at this journey was about to begin.