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more important role than those who appear nightly on
SportsCenter.
“We’re a different type of athlete,” Wrightsville Beach firefighter
Sam Proffitt says. “We do different training, and it’s a different
type of circumstances we’re preparing to respond to. Lives depend
on us being physically fit, whether we’re responding on the beach
strand to people in distress in a rip current, or responding to a
house fire and physically or forcefully making entry into a resi-dence.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
It’s a huge part of the job.”
A strength and agility test is part of the screening process for
prospective firefighters, and all uniformed personnel must pass the
test each year to keep their certification. Tasks include carrying
hoses up a couple of flight of stairs, ascending and descending lad-ders,
equipment carry, and moving a 150-pound dummy, all while
wearing full turnout gear.
“It is a priority,” says Wrightsville Beach Fire Department Chief
Glen Rogers. “When there’s a fire you are going 100 percent of
your endurance.”