More than 250 people applied to join the Bermuda Fire Service last year but only 13 passed the entrance tests and accepted a position.Chief fire officer Vincent Hollinsid said the Fire Service is still short of strength and if recruiting problems continue, the service would have to make difficult choices.“We can't go on being 13 short in a service this size,” Mr Hollinsid said. “I don't think we can look at recruiting overseas at this point in time because of the cost and the economic climate, but next year we might have to make some tough decisions.”An initial recruitment drive last year attracted 83 applicants to fill the 28 positions needed to bring the Service up to full strength.However, last April it was revealed that only three candidates passed the required academic, psychological, physical and drug tests, and only two passing applicants accepted a position.A renewed effort drew 257 applicants by the end of the 2010, but only 13 applicants passed the tests and accepted a position.Those successful applicants are now enrolled in a multi-week training course.“We are still having people failing on the academic side, but we've really noticed for the first time a lot of people failing the physical qualifications. The physical fitness level is far less than what we have seen in the past. “Ninety percent of their job is physical, so that requirement is extremely important. We cannot lower that standard.”Asked if the service would have another recruitment drive soon in order to try to make up the shortfall, the Mr Hollinsid said: “I can't say what we're going to do at this point.“The bottom line is once the budget gets approved, we will have to look and see what we can do in order to make up the numbers.”Shadow Labour Minister Michael Dunkley yesterday said more needs to be done to make sure that Bermuda's young people can take advantage of the opportunities available to them.“I'm sure you can see the same sort of problems in any business down town,” he said. “It means we have to raise our standards now, both in physical fitness and in the education sector.“We have got to take this warning seriously and take action.”He urged the Fire Service to continue to focus on recruiting locally, rather than internationally, and called for more Bermudians to look into joining the service.“It's a great opportunity to serve the community. As a former volunteer fireman, I can say it was a rewarding experience, and I really enjoyed my time in the service.”He also expressed concern that the Bermuda Police Service, which recently completed a recruitment drive, could face the same difficulties in finding capable applicants.A spokesman for the Bermuda Police said they saw a dramatic increase in the number of individuals applying to join the service in the most recent drive, which ended last Monday, but said it was too early to tell how many applicants would be accepted.“So far, we have received over 100 applications with the applicants ranging in age from 18 to 48 years old,” the spokesman said. “Typically, past recruitment drives have resulted in 50 to 60 applications received.“From early indications, many applicants have expressed their willingness to serve the community by becoming a police officer. They want to do their part to reduce crime and make Bermuda safer for everyone.”The next Recruit Foundation Course is scheduled to start in mid-June.The fire service is not alone in having difficulties finding viable local candidates to fill position.Bermuda Customs last year reported 236 candidates had applied for 12 positions, but the vast majority of applicants were unable to pass the entrance exams.Collector of Customs Winniefred Fostine DeSilva told a parliamentary select committee on violent crime and gun violence that despite the number of applicants, it was impossible to fill even eight of the available positions.