A Memphis Fire recruit remained unconscious Wednesday after collapsing during the department's "Hell Night" training Tuesday.
During eight hours of to-the-limit training, James Coleman Jr. dropped about 7 p.m. after crawling through a dark, claustrophobic space with only a fire hose to guide him, officials said.
He was taken to Methodist North Hospital in critical condition. Six other recruits, whom fire officials wouldn't name, went to area hospitals for dehydration.
Officials said having recruits dehydrate is common. They gave them IV liquids and "a free ride to the hospital," Fire Director Richard Arwood said.
What happened with Coleman, "that's pretty darn rare," he said.
Coleman had a medical problem that didn't show up on a routine test, he said.
Coleman's family said they don't know what happened but doctors think he may have had a stroke or heart attack.
Firefighters call it "Hell Night" because it evokes a "Hoorah" spirit in them, Arwood said.
Making it through gives them bragging rights, he said. It deserves a tough name.
"We're going to call it 'pansy flower training?'" he said.
"We don't do any of that ... fraternity junk, the hazing and stuff ... it's not like that," he said. "We're not trying to kill anybody."
The recruits go through 10 "survival training" scenarios at the training center, at 4341 O.K. Roberston.
Each takes about 35 minutes with a 15-20 minute "rehab" between, where instructors take their pulses and heart rates.
Between 2 and 10 p.m. some 45 recruits, who started in July and are about halfway through training, carried 40-pound wrapped hoses for a mile, wearing 80 pounds of equipment.
They put out a car fire, rescue someone trapped in a car, fight a building fire and a propane fire, climb ladders, crawl through a dark building and do drills where they drag hoses around.
James Coleman Sr. said his son had heard of other recruits quitting, but was determined to get through.
"I don't think he knew it was going to be that difficult," he said.
Firefighters came to his house and his wife's church Tuesday night to pick them up and take them to the hospital.
"He still hasn't woken up," James Coleman Sr. said.
Arwood and several department leaders met with the training chief Wednesday and discussed if changes were needed.
It's up to the chief, he said, but "at this point there doesn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary or outlandish."
At any time, recruits can signal that they can't take any more and can stop -- with no punishment, Arwood said.
"I'd rather them dehydrate in recruit training than seven months from now at Miss Smith's burning home," he said.
Water and Gatorade were available, he said, and there was at least one supervisor for every seven recruits.
This story is copywright of The Commercial Appeal
