Midway Fire Rescue revamps firefighter ability test, wins statewide recognition

Battalion Chief Pete Copeland told First Friday on Nov. 1 that Midway Fire Rescue redesigned its firefighter ability test after finding the previous exercise was outdated and caused injuries.

Copeland said the process took more than a year and used only existing station equipment: “We had a budget of 0,” he said, adding that committee members volunteered their time. He described the new test as adhering to NFPA standards, with more stations that reflect day‑to‑day tasks. “It’s actually more difficult,” he said, but the redesign also creates steps to help firefighters who fail meet a coach or trainer to get them back on duty.

Copeland described the test’s components — pulling hose lines, forcing doors with a door prop, donning and passing air packs through confined spaces, stair climbs with equipment, ceiling-breach simulations and sled push/pull work in full protective gear and breathing air — and said the department validated the course by testing a cross‑section of members and revising the design based on feedback.

He said the department ran the first iteration in May and planned a second run in November, and that Midway has begun outreach to Georgetown County Fire and EMS, the sheriff’s office and other agencies to share the approach so other units can adopt similar, job‑relevant assessments.

Host Jackie Brooch noted the safety committee received statewide recognition from the South Carolina Association of Counties and a county innovation award earlier in the year. Copeland said the acknowledgment was surprising and welcomed by the department.