While firefighting itself tends to be very similar from community to community, the courts have ruled that each municipality must analyze its own needs and develop a firefighter physical test designed to meet them.
In general, the firefighter physical test will be designed to measure your ability to perform typical firefighting tasks. You are expected to wear typical firefighter clothing or gear of similar weight, which is generally 50 to 75 pounds.
If you want to score well, you will need to be physically fit and familiar with the events in which you will be tested. You should get as much information as possible about the physical exam requirements.
A good first step
A good first step is to determine if there will be a training program for the test. You should also find out if you can practice with the actual equipment that will be used in the test. If the answer is yes, you must put a lot of effort to get to the training site and experience the test event. Many municipalities are using the CPAT or the Candidate Physical Abilities Test.
The cities and counties that use this test generally give candidates the opportunity to watch a movie about how the exam is structured and what you need to do to run the events effectively. Therefore, if your municipality uses the CPAT, be sure to arrange to view the film and be prepared to take notes on the proper techniques and actions.
Before conducting the physical exam, find out from the testing agency, fire department, or human resources department what restrictions may be imposed for each event.
Questions to Try to Get Answered About Possible Restrictions
How will the test be scored? Will it be a pass / fail test or will there be a grade?
Will there be a time limit set for completion? Your test can have a total time to complete all events or a specific time for each event. The CPAT, for example, has a total time for all events: 10 minutes and 20 seconds. On the other hand, the New York City Physical Abilities Test has a specific time slot for each of its eight individual events.
If the test is a speed test, how long must you take to get the highest score? How long can it take to get a passing score?
What type of personal protective equipment will you be asked to wear? Or will this equipment be excluded from use during the test?
How can you know the beginning and the end of each event? In other words, what constitutes a successful completion of each test event?
Finally, will you be allowed a rest period between events? And if so, how long will the rest last?
Typical events
While you may believe that you can prepare for the physical by doing exercises like pull-ups, weightlifting, push-ups, etc., this is not the case. The exercise program you do to prepare for a firefighter physical should prepare your body for turning, squatting, jumping, running, lifting, and carrying heavy weights.
Although this exam varies from municipality to municipality, there are some events where you will almost certainly be tested. Listed below are 10 of them. However, please note that these are only summaries of the events. For complete descriptions, you will need a book like Barron’s Firefighter Exams or Robert Andriuolo’s Firefighter Written Exams and Physicals.
1. Hose / tool transport. This event tests your ability to lift a fire hose weighing around 50 pounds from an elevated position or from the ground and then carry it 75 to 250 feet away. You may also need to climb stairs while carrying the hose.
2. Hose Drag / Hose Line Advancement This test is used to measure your ability to drag (move) the hose over a distance of 50 to 200 feet.
3. Advance the hose. The hose advance test is to measure your ability to work and drag a fire hose in a confined space of 50 feet or more. It is to simulate the movement of a hose into a fire area.
4. Hose coupling. In this test, you will connect a female hose coupling to a male coupling on a fire hydrant while standing upright. This is to measure your ability to connect a hose to a fire hydrant or other hose fitting. You may need to do this several times and use a 25 pound pack while testing.
5. Hose Lift This test, which is to measure your ability to pull the hose from outside the building or up to a higher floor, is usually performed from a standing position. The event is considered complete when the hose reaches a designated end point. You may need to use an air tank during this test.
6. Stair Climbing / High Rise Event. The purpose of this event is to test your ability to climb stairs while carrying firefighting equipment such as a hose, nozzle, hand tools, etc. It may include carrying hand tools, a replacement air cylinder, or a length of kinked hose. You will be asked to climb approximately three to six flights of stairs to a designated stopping point while carrying equipment that will weigh approximately 25 pounds. You may need to do this two or three times and wear an air bag while you test.
7. Climbing stairs. This event is designed to measure your ability to climb a 20 to 24 foot ladder. You may need to wear an air bag or carry a tool while doing this event. You may also need to get off the stairs at the top height, walk around the ladder, remount, and then go down the ladder.
8. Elevation of the ladder. This test is to measure your ability to lift a ladder from a horizontal position to a vertical position. You will take one end of a 20 to 24 foot ladder and then lift it from horizontal to vertical, using a wall or other fixed point as a clamp.
9. Extension / stair lift. The ladder lift / extension test is to measure your ability to apply a pulling force to raise the flight section of an extension ladder. You will be in a standing position and pull a hauling rope down until the fly ladder extends three to six rungs. You may also need to go down the flight ladder.
10. Ladder transport / equipment transport. In this test, you will start from a standing position and lift a ladder 10 to 20 feet and then take it a specified distance to a previously designated end point. The purpose of the test is to simulate lifting a portable ladder from the side of a fire apparatus and then transporting it to the place where it will be used. You will then place the ladder on a shelf or on the floor. You will then lift the equipment off the floor, a cabinet, or a shelf and carry it approximately 150 feet around a loop, returning to the starting position, where you will place the equipment on the floor or in the cabinet on the shelf. .