Thousands Take First Chicago Fire Department Exam Since 2006
(CBS) -- Nearly 17,000 men and women who want to be Chicago firefighters took the department's first exam since 2006 on Saturday and another 8500 are expected to do so on Sunday.
WBBM's Bob Roberts says they're an eclectic bunch. Many are born and bred Chicagoans but Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Jose Santiago says he spoke with a Detroit firefighter who wants to join the force here and others from as far away as Seattle and New York.
"Probably the most important thing is that we know in the city of Chicago we're servants. We serve the citizens of Chicago," he said.
Santiago says firefighter candidates have to be physically fit because of the rigors of the job and that's not all.
"They have to have a positive attitude," he said. "Hopefully they will focus as they go ahead. This will be a pass/fail test and then the processing starts. We have about 150 to 200 something a year that retire and we will have to replace those people with these future candidates here."