A grueling eight-minute assessment of physical strength stood between them and their dream careers. For these local women, passing the test that's required of firefighter candidates took both dedication and endurance. And they credit a program at a Cranston gym for helping make it happen.
Each piece of the training at The Way Human Performance Institute "is geared toward something that we do on the job," says Tiffany Pacheco, of Pawtucket, who took part in its course in 2012 and became a Pawtucket firefighter in 2013. She said building endurance was key — both in earning a job in the department initially and performing at work each day. For women especially, "There's no way you can do that job without training, without lifting," says Pacheco, 26. "It's the nature of the job." The program at The Way, offered in 8- and 12-week sessions, prepares candidates for the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs' Physical Performance Assessment. The test, known as the PPA, is held each year in April and October, and is designed to gauge a candidate's readiness for the physical work of firefighting.