Firefighters should be saluted

Re: “Fire department grocery shopping”, letter by Rolly Seguin, Oct. 25. I would just like to take a quick moment to comment on the letter about firefighters at the grocery store.

If you are a firefighter, full time, part time or volunteer you are required to participate in regular skills training. Fire departments constantly perform equipment and truck checks. They participate in emergency response drills. They maintain and repair fire apparatus. These dedicated individuals have extensive lifesaving skills and must continually keep these skills, like CPR, current. During their employment, firefighters must maintain the integrity of the position, promote goodwill and participate in community events.

Against popular belief, firefighters do not just sit in the station and watch TV. To attain a full-time position takes years of dedication and perseverance. The days of being hired because of who you know are long gone.

Here is today’s hiring process. First, you need to show commitment to the position, by your actions, education and integrity. When an applicant submits a resume they must first write an aptitude test which could take up to six hours to complete and you must pay $200 to take it.

Candidates that score well on the aptitude test then move up to the next level which is the physical testing, then medicals etc. If you are one of the lucky few to make it to an interview your resume then gets scrutinized for additional qualifications like Z licences, CPR, lifeguarding, scuba and volunteer work. This application process takes months to complete.

When hiring, fire departments usually receive thousands of applications. So, the next time, you bump into fire- fighters shopping for groceries, salute them!

ANNA McINTOSH, Kingsville