WPBFD History

stubborn blaze. Damage was confined to the sin- gle craft despite the close proximity of other boats. The second contract between the city and Lo- cal 727 was signed and ratified in early April. One of the benefits in- cluded a $10 a month bonus for all firefighters who had an Associate Degree in Fire Science. Another tradition was abolished when it was agreed that assistant chiefs would no longer

promised disciplinary action against those who failed to meet the stan- dards. The test consisted of the following:

1. Running 1.5 miles in twelve min- utes. 2. Completing 25 sit -ups in ninety sec- onds.

3. Performing 5 pull -ups with palms away. 4. Performing 10 push-ups. 5. Walking a twenty foot beam (4 inches wide) while carrying a twenty pound hose. 6. Carrying a 125 pound weight 100 feet with- out stopping. 7. A complicated back exercise. 8. Carrying a 50 foot length of 2 1/2 inch up the stairs of the drill tower and back down in 1 min- ute and 45 seconds. 9. Climbing a 35 foot ladder twice while wear- ing an air pack. 10. Pulling a charged 2 1/2 inch hose 100 feet. As an incentive, Kennedy offered a 24 hour day off with pay for all those who completed the 1.5 mile run in less that 12 minutes. He was surprised by the number who earned the extra time off, but firefighters would push to their limits for an extra vacation day. The most controversial part of the program was the weight requirement. All personnel had to meet a certain weight based on their height. The standards seemed ri- diculously low, putting most of the men in an overweight status. Three men were actually given time off without pay for failing to lose weight in a certain time period. Kennedy had to give the men back their time after a heated confrontation with the union over his severe meas- ures. There were a number of sizable docking facilities along the lake front which presented a special fire prob- lem in the city. Wood and fiberglass craft moored side by side allowed for rapid fire spread unless containment was achieved early. On March 4, 1977, the forty foot yacht Bold Hawk was berthed at pier two of the City Marina. The boat's owner, James L. Anderson, and captain, Chris Barnes, were sleeping in the rear cabin when they were suddenly awakened by noise from a fire on board. They escaped as firefighters arrived at the scene to battle the

Bold Hawk at the City Marina.

have to "visit" firefighters who called in sick. It had long been a policy for an assistant chief to go to the home of firefighters on sick leave to have them sign a First Report of Sick Leave form. Chief Kennedy was concerned about this change as evidenced by a bulletin issued on April 12, 1977, that said, "I do not agree with the sick leave provi- sion and I hope that future records will not reflect the pos- sibility of abuse." Careless smoking claimed yet another life on the afternoon of May 15, 1977. The remains of 75-year-old Virgil Adams were found in the burned-out shell of apart- ment #10 at 1025-13th Street. The Fire Medic Program was gearing-up for the June 1, 1977, starting date. Fifteen new EMT II trained firefighters made backboards and mounted equipment on the newly purchased Fire Medic rigs. Their green jump suits and red ball caps earned them the title "stuffed ol- ives" from some firefighters who were not particularly pleased with the new direction the department was taking. The Fire Medic Program was Kennedy's pet project and his sudden lack of attention to the firefighting ele- ment created hard feelings. Two factors contributed to the alienation of the two divisions; all fifteen fire medics were given identical performance reviews with excellent ratings and the entire group was selected as the Employee of the Year by the city. Soon the term "fire magics" was used in a derogatory manner by the now step-child fire- fighters. The new program was controversial with the traditionalists, and a widening chasm between the two divisions would continue for many years. Two 1977 Ford emergency response units were put in service as Fire Medic 1 and Fire Medic 2. FM 1 re- sponded from #3 Station and FM-2 from #2 Station. Each unit was manned with an EMT I driver and two EMT II paramedics. The running card basically split the city at Okeechobee Boulevard for the two units. The first four

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