Brittany Hoffman,a firefighter with the Wheeling Fire Department successfully completed a rigorous training program and in doing so made history as the 13th woman among 1,202 participants to finish the Georgia Smoke Diver course. It’s a week long program designed to simulate the challenges of fire fighting,which requires trainees to undergo 60 hours of intense drills. The initial participant count was 43, but only 15 managed to finish the course. Hoffman anticipated the difficult nature of the program, having set her sights on earning the Georgia Smoke Diver title. She applied twice before being accepted in the summer of 2023 and dedicated the following eight months to preparation. The Georgia Smoke Diver course begins with a written test covering basic firefighting knowledge, followed by a physical agility test. This includes a 1½-mile run, pull-ups, a stair climb with equipment, and hoisting equipment using a rope, all within a set time limit.