Testing Physical Limits

Being a firefighter is not a walk in the park and so does the training. We trust firefighters with our lives in the most dangerous situations that can happen (fires and more) so it is only fitting that they need to be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally. 

Here they undergo several firefighter physical agility exam in their quest to become a firefighter. One test is the 

Firefighter Physical Ability Test. 

Stair climb 

This is a simulation of stair climbing while carrying equipment, a regular activity of fire fighters in a fire. The candidate will be required to make six trips up and down one flight of stairs shuttling one of equipment at a time at every climb. 

They are then required to return the six pieces of equipment to their starting points. 

Ladder event 

This event simulates many activities related to the use of ladders. The examinees are required to remove ladder from a rack, carry it for some distance, and raise a weight of approximately45 pounds attached to a rope. 

The weight is lowered and the ladder is returned to the rack. This event simulates various activities related to using ladders. 

House drag /advance 

The manipulation is about a fully-charge fire hose. The candidate is required to pull 50 feet of hose while in a stationary position. There will be a ceiling on the U-shaped course to keep candidates from standing straight. 

The candidate is then required to straighten out the hose to reset then event. 

Forcible entry 

This simulates the breaking down of a door to gain entrance to a burning structure or an incident scene. The examinee is required to strike a rubber pad mounted on a moveable post. He will use a 12-pound sledgehammer to move the post to a set distance. 

The post and the structure are then weighed to simulate the force needed to exert on a door in order to gain entrance. 

Search 

This is a simulation of the actions necessary to enter and search a smoke-filled structure. The examinee will crawl through a wooden tunnel 65 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide with obstructions and turns. 

There is an obstacle on the floor, another one is from the ceiling and at another one, and finally the obstacle is on each side. 

Rescue 

In this one, the actions necessary is to drag an “unconscious victim” (weighted 120-pound bag) from a burning building to a place of safety along 30 feet of zigzag course. 

There is a low ceiling over the course to prevent the candidate from standing upright. The time limit for the event is 32.2 seconds. 

Ceiling hook 

This one simulates the use of a pike pole on the ceiling hook. The poke is a firefighting tool used to tear down ceilings or open walls looking for hidden fires. The first part is to thrust the pike pole into a metal plate in an 8-foot ceiling. 

The plate (weighing around 60 pounds) must be lifted approximately six inches in order for the strike to count (score). The next part is to pull the pole down six inches. Only completed sequences will count.