In fact, Perkins "finished in an excellent time for his age," said Clay Baitman, a testing expert who was on hand at Southwestern Illinois College for the physical tests required of aspiring firefighters.
"He finished the run faster than the standard for his age and his sex" of 13 minutes and 46 seconds, said Baitman, the college's vice president of instruction.
The 1.5-mile run around the college track was the first physical test of the day. Perkins' collapse occurred while he was resting after the run and getting ready to take part in the next set of physical tests, to be held inside the college, Baitman said.
Clay referred other questions about the cause of Perkins' death to East St. Louis Fire Chief William Fennoy, who could not be reached for comment Monday
An ambulance later rushed Perkins to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, where he died in the hospital emergency room.
A medical examiner conducted an autopsy on Perkins' body Monday morning, but results of a toxicology test, as well as other tests, probably won't come back for at least two or three weeks, St. Clair County Coroner Rick Stone said.
Despite Perkins' collapse, the other firefighter candidates continued to take part in the physical tests, Baitman said.
"Those who were still testing were given the opportunity to test at a later date," Baitman said. "And they all unanimously chose to go on out of respect for Mr. Perkins."
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