So you want to be a firefighter but don’t think you have the muscles necessary to handle the physically demands of the job?

While the public view of a firefighter may be Kurt Russell in the movie “Backdraft,” the reality is that volunteers on South Whidbey are normal, everyday people of varying abilities who come from all walks of life.

They are teachers, mothers, fathers, retirees and even high school students.

Fire District 3 officials are conducting their annual drive for volunteers this month, and they are hoping to spark the interest of local residents to join their ranks.

Fire district officials say anyone in good physical health and of average ability should be able to pass the agility portion of the test.

Age doesn’t matter

Age and gender are not necessarily a barrier for volunteering with Fire District 3.

Take Clancy Overturf, for example.

Overturf retired at 65 after a career driving fuel trucks. He then volunteered with the department and went through the Island County Recruit Academy.

District officials believe that he still holds the record as the oldest candidate, and Overturf retired a second time after 10 years with the department.

Still, Overturf continues to support the district by helping out, driving vehicles to maintenance facilities on the mainland on occasion.

Ken Starkweather, 53, is currently a volunteer with the department. In his other life he was an accountant.

Upon retirement from his number-crunching job, he became a firefighter in 2000.

“Originally, I volunteered to prove to myself I could do it after a career behind a desk. Also, to get involved in and give back to the community that had adopted me,” Starkweather said.

Starkweather has also earned his emergency medical technician certificate.

Carl Simmons, another volunteer, served the district for 50 years — from 1954 to 2004.

When the Clinton man retired as a volunteer, he passed the torch to the next generation; his son Kennon now serves as a volunteer at the Clinton station where his father began.

Not a man’s world

Today women play an important part in the organization. Approximately 20 percent of the district’s volunteers are women who range in age from 18 to their 50s. All told, there are 16 women volunteers; six are emergency medical technicians and two are officers.

Christina Parker is a 11-year veteran of the department and was selected by her peers as the 2005 Firefighter of the Year.

The married mother of two young children, Parker is a lieutenant at the Langley fire station.

“To anyone thinking of volunteering, don’t think you have to fit a particular stereotype to be a firefighter. Look at me, I’m a working mom, wife and homemaker. I never imagined I’d be a firefighter, but I love it,” she said.

Susan Marchese is a firefighter and emergency medical technician who combines a busy career with her volunteer duties.

“I am a third grade teacher at Coupeville Elementary School and have been with the Coupeville School District for 16 years. I joined the South Whidbey fire department in 2001, completing the Island Fire Academy in the spring of that same year,” she said.

She and her husband, Don Mason, are both involved with county’s Search & Rescue Dog Program.

“Currently I am training in the ropes division. I have competed in rescue competitions for the South Whidbey TERC team and also was a member of the marine division at one time,” she said.

Marchese said her diminutive size is not a limitation to the physical demands of the job.

“I have discovered that even the small in stature can be a valuable asset to a large organization. The people of the South Whidbey fire district are a supportive and encouraging group of people who do an outstanding job of helping others in need,” she said.

The requirements

There are two options to becoming a certified firefighter. Volunteers can attend the Island County Recruit Academy in Oak Harbor for two months for two nights a week and every weekend, or join a self-paced program at a South End fire station.

“The academy is a lengthy commitment,” said Jon Beck, deputy chief for the district. “Not everyone has that kind of time.”

The second method is a computer-based, self-paced program with the physical testing taking place at a South End station.

“In both cases, the cost of the course — about $650 — is paid for by the district,” Beck said.

Volunteers need a physical exam before taking the agility portion of the test. They are required to run a mile in 16 minutes.

“Candidates should be in good physical condition but there is no physical requirement to run a marathon or bench press 300 pounds,” Beck said.

With the exception of the high school program, the minimum age is 18. There is no mandatory retirement age.

A valid Washington State driver’s license with no major infractions and a clean law enforcement background check round off the requirements to begin training.

Get fit and help

Firefighters must be able to lift equipment, pull lengths of charged (water-filled) hose, raise and lower extension ladders, and be able to pull and push weight like one might have to do if rescuing a fellow firefighter.

Parker said the test was challenging, but not impossible.

“The academy and the physical agility test were challenging, but I never thought that I might not be able to complete them,” Parker said.

One can use leverage and momentum to accomplish many tasks.

“It’s not all about brawn,” Parker explained. “I managed to ‘rescue’ my 200-pound academy instructor by bringing him down a ladder from rooftop height.”

“It’s all about using good body mechanics, leverage and momentum. There are tricks and tips to lighten one’s load in most any task,” she said.

Parker said volunteers are trained to use a hose strap wrapped around a downed firefighter’s pack to lift his/her body up slightly.

“As you pull, it reduces the drag and makes it easier for a single rescuer to pull the dead weight and perform a rescue,” she said.

The district provides exercise/weight rooms in many of the stations and encourages members to make use of the equipment whenever they like.

Parker and some of the other women say being a firefighter has helped them maintain good strength and stay in fairly good overall physical condition.

“Sometimes the best workout I get all week is going to drill on Tuesday nights, wearing 30 pounds of bunker gear, and sweating while carrying around charged hose lines,” Parker said.

Start in high school

The high school firefighter program is the ultimate job shadow program.

The program allows high schoolers to join the department at age 16 and receive basic firefighter training. They work with firefighters at their stations at drills and exercises, and participate in some aspects of firefighting under close supervision.

“This gives the students a chance to see what is involved in a firefighting career and decided if they wish to join the profession when they leave school,” Beck said.

Some have elected to further their studies at either two- or four-year colleges prior to joining a paid full-time department. Others have decided to become volunteer firefighters with District 3 after they turned 18.

Gayle Saran can be reached at 221-5300 or gsaran@southwhidbeyrecord.com