Becoming Abilene's Bravest

"We had about 103 applicants. We go through those with a fine tooth comb," says Public Information Officer J. Sanders.

The hiring process takes about 5 months but the eliminations begin quickly.

"You turn in your application. They schedule you five days later for your physical agility," says Sanders.

As you can imagine, being a firefighter takes a lot of physical strength. Not only are you forced to climb in to buildings and pull people out of burning fires, but you're forced to do that all while wearing 50 pounds of equipment.

"You put on a 50 pound weighted vest. You start off holding a chainsaw above your head for 30 seconds," says Sanders.

The test continues with stairs, dummies and a very important simulator.

"It's a simulator of cutting a holes with an ax in a roof and you have to do all that within seven minutes and 30 secs or less," Sanders explains.

After the physical test comes the true test of character: the background check.

"It's pretty in depth. You know, we're gonna call your friend's friends, we're gonna call people that you didn't list. We're going to check your driving record, your credit record. We're going to know everything about you," says Sanders.

The intense application process determines not just the next firefighter, but the next member of their family.

"When you live with a group for 24 hours every third day, for some guys 30 to 40 years, it's a family," says Sanders.

Proving that a family that fights together, stays together.