GET ON THE TRUCK The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department is hiring. Applications for a lieutenant position are due by May 12. The process involves a written test, a physical agility test and an oral interview. The department is streamlining the process by allowing candidates to take the written test online through nationaltestingnetwork.com, and applicants who live outside the area can complete a physical agility test at a location near their homes.

“This is not an entry level position,” said Deputy Chief Rodger Ricciuti. “We’re looking for someone to assume officer-level responsibilities on day one—building inspections, public speaking, supervision.”

Candidates must have a minimum of five years of fire service experience, and be certified as a Firefighter II and an Emergency Medical Technician. You can find an application and more details on the department’s website.

Think you can pass the physical agility test? Here’s what you need to do:

Stair Climb Walk on a stair climber at a set stepping rate of 60 steps per minute for three minutes, with two 12½-pound weights on your shoulders.

Hose Drag Grasp a hose line nozzle attached to 200 feet of 1¾-inch hose. Place the line over your shoulder or across your chest. Drag the hose 75 feet to a prepositioned drum, make a 90-degree turn around the drum, and continue an additional 25 feet. Drop to at least one knee and pull the hose line until the line’s 50-foot mark crosses the finish line.

Ladder Raise and Extension Walk to the top rung of a 24-foot aluminum extension ladder. Lift the unhinged end from the ground and walk it up until it is stationary against the wall. This must be done in a hand over hand fashion, using each rung until the ladder is stationary against the wall. Immediately proceed to a prepositioned and secured 24-foot ladder, stand with both feet within the marked box of 36 inches x 36 inches and extend the fly section hand over hand until it hits the stop. Then, lower the fly section hand over hand in a controlled fashion to the starting position.

Forcible Entry Use a 10-pound sledgehammer to strike a measuring device in the target area until the buzzer is activated.

Search Crawl through a tunnel maze that is approximately 3 feet high, 4 feet wide and 64 feet in length, with two 90-degree turns, navigating several obstacles. In addition, at two locations, crawl through a narrowed space where the dimensions of the tunnel are reduced.

Rescue Grasp a 165-pound mannequin by the handles on the shoulders of the harness, drag it 35 feet, make a 180-degree turn and continue an additional 35 feet to the finish line.

Ceiling Breach and Pull Remove a pike pole from its bracket and place the tip of the pole on a hinged door in the ceiling. Push the 60-pound hinged door in the ceiling with the pike pole three times. Then, hook the pike pole to an 80-pound ceiling device and pull the pole down five times. Each set consists of three pushes and five pulls. Repeat the set four times.

TAX TIME, SCAM SEASON April brings some showers, some flowers and a few fake Internal Revenue Service agents. If you get a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent, most of the time it’s bogus. If the real IRS is calling you, you’ve most likely received several written notices about a specific problem, such as an overdue tax bill, delinquent tax return or failure to make an employment tax deposit. An IRS employee may also view assets or tour a business as part of a collection investigation, an audit or an ongoing criminal investigation. So if you’re not facing any of those circumstances, hang up and call the IRS at 800-366-4484, or visit the U.S. Treasury impersonation scam reporting page.

DRUG COLLECTION Is your medicine cabinet stocked with expired or unwanted drugs? Medical Rescue Team South Authority is hosting a Drug Take Back Day, sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at its headquarters, 315 Cypress Way. The Mt. Lebanon Police Department will incinerate the medications. If you can’t make it to MRTSA that day, you can always take unwanted medication to a 24/7 drop box at MRTSA headquarters, or in the rear entrance to the Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Center, 555 Washington Road. Please bring medication only; no needles or other sharp objects.

APRIL SHOWERS Flood season is here again. Actually, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tagging 2022 as the sixth-warmest year since it started keeping records, flood season is pretty much year-round these days. The Federal Emergency Management Administration has some tips to help you weather the inevitable storm.

Sign up for emergency alerts LeboEmergency sends notifications of life-threatening emergencies.

Evacuate means get out Sure, it’s cool to be right there in the eye of the storm. But you may not make it out alive. Also, the first responders who come looking for you might not make it either. Obey the evacuation order.

Get inside and stay there Don’t walk or drive through flood waters, and stay away from bridges over fast-moving water. Of the 106 people who were killed by flooding in the U.S. last year, 41 of them were driving. If you’re driving and you get trapped in flood water, stay inside your vehicle. If water is rising inside the vehicle, climb out and stand on the vehicle’s roof. If you’re trapped in a building, move to the highest level, but don’t climb into a closed attic. Go onto the roof only if necessary.

Prepare an emergency survival kit Food, water, flashlights, batteries, charging devices, medications and first aid supplies.

Protect your property Elevate your appliances and electrical equipment so they are at least a foot off the floor. Whenever possible, move major appliances out of the basement. Sump pumps propel groundwater away from your home and can be an excellent defense against basement seepage and flooding. Choose a battery-operated sump pump in case the power goes out. Seal walls in your basement with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage, making sure floor drains are free of obstructions.

LOOK UP LEBO Get your motor running; head out on the highway; looking for adventure, but make sure you wear a helmet and some leather, and let the other drivers know you’re there. The National Safety Council’s Motorcycle Safety Foundation recommends putting reflective strips or decals on your clothing and on your bike, and keeping an eye out for other cars and trucks’ blind spots.