FIGHTING TO BECOME FIREFIGHTERS

Many of Orange County’s fire departments have written, physical and oral tests applicants are asked to take before being hired. Following is a list of the various fire departments in the county, the number of applicants in the most recent recruitment process and how they fared on those tests. While reading, bear in mind:

* Anaheim and Garden Grove went through the process two years ago and will do so again this spring.

* Laguna Beach numbers are from 1987 and they, too, are going through the process again this spring.

* Newport Beach numbers are from 1986.

* County, Buena Park, Fullerton, Orange, Santa Ana, Brea and La Habra numbers are from 1989.

* Numbers for the Fountain Valley and Costa Mesa fire departments are not available.

* Huntington Beach has not recruited in the last several years.

* Some departments accept only fire academy graduates and therefore do not have a physical agility, written and/or oral requirement.

Number Who Number Who Passed Number Who Total Passed Physical Passed Fire Department Applicants Written Test Agility Test Oral Test Orange County 1,620 630 55 N/R Anaheim 500 N/R N/R 200 Brea 150 52 N/R + Buena Park +++ 60 N/R N/R 20 Fullerton 254 131 94 81 Garden Grove 356 N/R 123 62 Laguna Beach 150 N/R N/R 21 La Habra 209 N/R 73 56 Newport Beach 150 ** ** ** Orange 160 N/A N/A N/A Santa Ana *** 25 25 N/R 22 Westminster 96 **** **** ****

Total Applicants Fire Department Hired Orange County 30 Anaheim 16 Brea ++ Buena Park +++ 4 Fullerton 7 Garden Grove 7 Laguna Beach 5 La Habra * Newport Beach 5 Orange N/A Santa Ana 17 Westminster ****

+ An oral test will be administered to the 26 remaining applicants

++ Two people will be hired in March

+++ Applicants are hired as apprentice firefighters; they will be eligible to become firefighters after three years.

* One or two people will be hired in the next few months

** The number of applicants who passed each test is unavailable; the number of applicants who passed all three tests is 34.

*** Recruitment was limited to current Santa Ana city paramedics

**** The application deadline was in mid-February; qualified applicants will be given a physical agility and oral test in the next six months.

N/A: Information not available.

N/R: Applicants not required to take such a test.

Source: Individual fire departments