Tulsa firefighter hopefuls participate in cadet ladder climb

TULSA, Okla. — A group of hopeful future Tulsa firefighters braved the cold Wednesday morning to climb high into the air on ladders as part of their firefighting academy training.

Everyone in the Tulsa Fire Department’s academy has to prove they can climb, balance on the top of, and get down from a 100-foot ladder mounted on a fire truck in order to move on in the academy.

In total, 44 cadets climbed two sets of ladders at TFD’s training academy Wednesday morning.

The climb is nearly vertical, with the ladders tilted at 75-degree angles.

Cadets must stand on the top rung with their arms extended perpendicular to their shoulders, all while keeping balance.

Wednesday’s climbers are tentatively set to graduate in August, assuming they pass the rest of their required tests.

Their climb test fell on a week of wintry weather, with ice on the ground below them, and near single-digit windchills.

Tulsa fire chief Michael Baker said, while they could have postponed it, climbing in Wednesday’s conditions is something the cadets will need to get used to if they truly want to become firefighters.

“We don’t choose the environment we work in. We work in every condition. We will climb this ladder in conditions worse than this,” Baker said. “This is the reality of the work environment. This is the reality of your future career.”

Baker said he can’t recall a time where a cadet decided to drop out of the academy after doing the ladder test, telling FOX23 those who have made it this far are in the academy committed, and ready and excited to become firefighters as soon as they graduate.

“To see these guys come in the door with the hope of being a firefighter actually go through the process and get selected, and then put in the field to help people, it’s a really rewarding process,” TFD’s Recruiting Director and—and longtime Tulsa firefighter—Anthony Payne said. “Some of those guys come in with just a hope. But when it becomes a reality, it’s an amazing feeling.”

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