Although Pompano's volunteer fire department was in constant need of able-bodied men to respond to emergencies, it wouldn't accept just anyone who applied.

One of the requirements for volunteers was that they not be afraid of heights. To find out if they were, the tallest ladder the fire department had was raised into the air with four ropes tied to the top and held straight up by firemen holding the end of each rope. The volunteer had to climb to the top, cross over the top rung, and descend on the opposite side.

It was said that this weeded out a lot of prospective volunteers.