You Want To Be A Firefighter

Education & Candidate Physical Agility Test (CPAT) Information

• Education Info

• Physical Agility Info

• CPAT Testing & Location Information

 Education

Currently the public service sector is experiencing a 25 to 30 year retirement cycle that is depleting its work force. Fire Departments are losing personnel at an ever increasing rate compared to other public sector institutions because of changes in the public employees retirement system (PERS) that affects safety personnel. Firefighters can now retire at 50 years of age with up to and over 90 percent of their salaries. Chiefs, Training Officers, Union representatives and PERS research is indicating 20 to 50 percent turn over rates in most departments due to these retirements. Recent federally mandated increases of Engine staffing requirements by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) further exasperates depleted departmental workforce levels. The current and projected workforce deficits for skilled recruits in the fire service place graduates from accredited fire technology programs in a positive employment position. The Fire Service recognizes the need for a more prepared and educated recruit than they've needed in the past. Community college two year and California State University four year programs provide this type of recruit to the profession. Fire Departments in this country have evolved during the course of the 20th century from a traditional firefighting organization into what is termed "All Risk, Full Service" Departments.

Today's profession requires basic entry level skills in emergency medicine, Hazardous Materials mitigation, Swift water Rescue, Low/High angle Rescue, Weapons of mass destruction (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) mitigation, Emergency shoring, Firefighter Survival (Structural and Wildland/Forest), Incident Management, Construction, Elevators/Escalators, Prevention, Inspection, Fire Behavior and Combustion, Fire Chemistry and Physics, Basic Hydraulics, Investigation and Fire Laws, Diversity/EEO, Report Writing as well as Suppression skills for all types and descriptions of fires. The Firefighting culture, its characteristics, its hiring procedures are very involved, sometimes confusing and very intimidating to the unprepared. The required prerequisites and an accredited fire technology academy prepare an individual to become a Firefighter.

Candidate Physical Agility Test (CPAT)

The CPAT was developed by the Fire Service Joint Labor and Management Wellness and Fitness Initiative Task Force, which was composed of members from the IAFF, IAFC, ten Fire Departments and Locals (Unions) from across the United States and Canada.

The test is designed to identify individuals who have the physical abilities to perform the duties of a Firefighter. It consists of eight separate job related tasks that are preformed in a continuous sequence. The candidate has 10 minutes and 20 seconds to complete all eight tasks. During the entire test the candidate must wear a 50 lb. weighted vest (simulating the weight of a fire fighters protective clothing and equipment). The eight events are:

• Stair Climb (climbing stairs while carrying an additional 25 lb. simulated hose pack),
• Ladder Raise and Extension (placing a ground ladder at the fire scene and extending the ladder to the roof or a window),
• Hose Drag (stretching uncharged hose lines, advancing lines),
• Equipment Carry (removing and carrying equipment from fire apparatus to fire ground),
• Forcible Entry (penetrating a locked door, breaching a wall) and
• Search (crawling through dark unpredictable areas to search for victims).
• Rescue Drag (removing victim or partner from a fire building),
• Ceiling Pull (locating fire and checking for fire extension)

THIS IS A PASS FAIL TEST

For more details of the CPAT including test details, preparation, testing sites, and pre-training manuals click here.