Firefighter Gives Birth, Aces Promotion Exam

POSTED: 9:06 pm EST January 17, 2006

HOUSTON -- Just 12 hours after giving birth, a Houston firefighter popped a painkiller and took a promotion exam.

Beda Kent felt she had no choice because Texas state law requires everyone to take it at the same time. She would have had to wait two years for the next one.

Despite just giving birth and getting only two hours sleep, Kent got 104 out of 110 on the test and expects to return from maternity leave in March as a captain.

Still, Kent thinks there should be some exceptions to the law. She told The Houston Chronicle that she was about six months pregnant when the test was announced in October.

Kent's new daughter, Brina Sue, is said to be doing fine. But Kent said, "It was hard to leave her."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

Well done her. I wonder if the drugs/endorphines had any contribution to her score - I mean as far as taking some of the stress/nervousness of the exam away? She obviously knows her stuff though.