Firefighters with Decatur Fire & Rescue will soon be tested on whether they can swing a sledgehammer, drag tires, climb and descend a tower, do a pipe crawl and five other challenges meant to test their readiness for the job.
The Personnel Board approved last week Fire Chief Tracy Thornton's proposal to implement a new fitness test that firefighters must pass to remain on active duty.
Thornton said Henry Williford, a professor in Auburn University's Kinesiology Department, certified the new fitness test as a job-task readiness assessment.
"We want our people to physically be able to do the job they're going out and doing every day," Thornton said.
The chief said they set up a course for the firefighters to take once a year. Williford then certified the course and tailored it to Decatur Fire & Rescue's needs.