From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Oct. 27, 1986:

Lawrence Fire Chief Jim McSwain was in the middle of a difficult decision process. The department was hiring a new firefighter, to join the crew of 70 by mid-November, and 182 people had applied for the job. Having narrowed the field down to five finalists, McSwain was planning to discuss the stresses and demands of the job during the interview process. “We look for people who are physically fit…. Firefighters must be able to retain information and are called on to recall information about fighting fires a long time after they learn it.” He added that they work 24-hour shifts, work holidays, and spend almost one-third of their lives at the station. The position for which McSwain was hiring had become vacant after the mid-July death of Mark Blair, the first Lawrence firefighter killed in the line of duty.