In Episode 434 of Mic’d In New Haven — The Best of The Bravest: Interviews with The FDNY’s Elite (Volume 93) — retired FDNY Captain Tony Tedeschi takes us inside the demanding selection process used when the department’s Squad companies were being built.
Candidates reported to “The Rock,” where the charter captains — including some of the most respected names in the job — put firefighters through a series of intense drills and evaluations.
It wasn’t simply a physical test.
Tedeschi recalls being moved from scenario to scenario: climbing aerials, setting up lifesaving rope systems, working through different rooms and problems, and being deliberately kept under stress so the captains could see not only what candidates knew, but how they responded when tired, pressured, and uncomfortable.
At the end, the captains essentially sat down and conducted what Tedeschi describes as a kind of draft, deciding which firefighters would become part of the new companies.
The process helped establish the standard and culture that would define the Squads for years to come — technically sharp, physically capable, adaptable, and ready for whatever came next.
Outro Song: Oasis – Morning Glory (1995)
VIEW INTERVIEW HERE:
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