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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-satan!clayton
From: clayton@satan.DEC
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Firefighter's Tests
Message-ID: <2968@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 08:37:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.2968
Posted: Mon Jul  1 08:37:19 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jul-85 03:05:45 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 16

The Fire Department in my college town once tried to recruit me.  Being 6'
and fairly large build they figured I had a chance of passing the physical
tests (but I would have miserably failed the eye test).  They had NO WOMEN 
in the department and were actively trying to recruit some (I assumed for
AA reasons).  Anyway, the test for men and women was the same and very
difficult.  One of the hardest was the 'carrying test', you had to lift a
large, heavy (around 75 pounds, I think) object to a minimum height of 4' and 
carry it X yards.  This was to show competency at rescuing people.  Sounded
like a damn good idea to me.

Through the grape vine I also heard that the department was very sexist, and
that was the main reason they were unable to get women, NOT because of the
test (although that was undoubtedly a large factor too).

Elizabeth A. Clayton
decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-satan!clayton