Brian Dawson speaks with Chief Jeremy Powell prior to racing up the stairway in the timed event to certify as a firefighter and possible addition to the Greenville Department in time.
Image by Jim Satterwhite

“Anytime, anywhere” is the motto of the Greenville, Texas Fire and Rescue Department. The department was testing nineteen candidates for one vacancy in the department Saturday morning at the City Hall/Greenville Municipal Auditorium building. Each candidate was timed climbing four stories in full gear, hoisting a weight from ground level to the fourth floor and then completing other tasks that involved an obstacle course and fireman’s carry.

The candidates came from volunteer fire departments in and around Hunt County, fire fighting academies, and other departments. Greenville currently employees 51 paid firefighters. These include a chief and two assistants housed at the Temple Street administrative office. The other personnel are stationed in one of four buildings strategically located in and around Greenville. They work shifts of 24-hours on and 48-hours off. All of the new hire candidates will be certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. They will then serve one year in a probationary status before becoming a badge carrying member of Greenville Fire and Rescue.