Probie Assignments

[jacquette]

Years ago before the height requirement on the entrance test was struck down some candidates who were an inch or less below the minimum would sleep on the floor the night before then have friends transport them to the physical exam on a backboard...they would not stand up until their turn to get their height measured.....they managed to gain enough to pass.......considering just about everything has been stuck down by the courts i am surprised that the mandatory retirement age of 65 has remained in the FDNY.

A friend of mine who's dad was Chicago FD, once told me that I would of needed some folded bills under heels to meet the height requirement.

[nfd2004]

Years ago I had a friend who wanted to be a City Firefighter. He took a few test but they turned him down because they said he was "too short", by a half of an inch. He was strong as a bull and had the speed to go with it. We were volunteer firefighters together, both of our fathers were on the job, and we buffed together. In fact he was the first one to tell me how I could listen to the FDNY on my scanner, what frequency etc.. A smart kid who did well on the written exam. Except for that height thing, he would have been retired from the dept by now.

  When the rule got changed that height didn't really matter, he was already well established in a decent job with AT&T, so he decided to stay and keep the time he had toward retirement. I haven't seen him in awhile, but I heard he retired and became a 911 dispatcher in Connecticut. I just always felt so sorry for that guy. I think he would have been a good fireman. He certainly was into the job.

  I just count my blessings that I got to do what I wanted to for those years I spent being on the F.D. job, and still having the opportunity to chase fires in the Best and Busiest Fire Dept in the World.

[68jk09]

Here is the picture of the FF standing on the box referred to above..............FDNY - Short Truckie

[jacquette]

Here is the picture of the FF standing on the box referred to above..............FDNY - Short Truckie

Great pic. That's what I look like on the fireground. I feel very fortunate that I am on the job and reflect on my blessing often.

The guys have had their fair share of fun with me. The stack of magazines on the driver seat, the milk cartoon or bucket up-side down to stand on, re-arranging the coffee cups to the top shelf of the cabinet, but the kicker was a shoe box with a new set of boots. The boots were replaced with a pair of baby shoes. I kept the box and the shoes. As my dad use-to say if there picking on you then they must like you, I feel pretty lucky.

[mack]

My cousin missed FDNY medical height requirement by less than a 1/2 inch twice when he got out of the Marines late 1960s.  I think the height requirment was 5 ft 7 inches for FDNY and maybe 5 ft 6 inches for NYPD back then.  He tried everything.  He did the "sleep on the floor routine" and picked up 1/4 inch, but was still too short for back then.  OK for USMC, not OK for FDNY.   

Residency is another requirement that varies with departments accross country.  Surprised they still exist.

[vbcapt]

Chief:

As far as age requirements go (max hiring & mandatory retirement), those rules are very safe even with the Federal ADA regs. Police, Fire & emergency Service Depts. are exempt and can set maximum ages for hiring and mandatory ages for retirement