Posted: 10/20/2010 1:44:04 PM EDT
| I'm interested in knowing the initial fitness tests you guys had to go through. I'm considering a career with an inner-city FD and would like to know how to prepare. Thanks. |
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Quoted:
I'm interested in knowing the initial fitness tests you guys had to go through. I'm considering a career with an inner-city FD and would like to know how to prepare. Thanks. Look at your city FD page and under most employment links there is training info as its going to vary from city to city. |
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Cardio is right. I don't care how "in shape" you are spending any amount of time in full turn outs and SCBA crawling around in 1200 degree temps will beat the shit out of you.
Tests will vary from dept to dept. Most departments will list the specifics of their tests on their recruitment page. Good luck and for the time being consider looking into your local volunteer dept. It will give you a taste of what the job involves and experience/networking/foot in the door. Do not get discouraged if you don't hear back from the first dept you apply to. The old saying is "nothing happens fast in the fire service". |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I'm interested in knowing the initial fitness tests you guys had to go through. I'm considering a career with an inner-city FD and would like to know how to prepare. Thanks. Look at your city FD page and under most employment links there is training info as its going to vary from city to city. It's not listed on their website. I guess I'll have to e-mail them. |
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Generic answer is be prepared to smoke the CPAT. (Available on YouTube)
Otherwise, like they said, cardio. Hit a truck tire across the yard with a sledge, drag sandbags or bags of cement, etc. Find out what the departments around you will be testing, and prepare for that test specifically. Find that out, come back, and we'll be able to give you better info on preparing for it. |
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How many of y'all have taken the CPAT? 
It's kicked my ass a few times..... 
And good luck to you Op!  I just took it for the second time recently. My god did it whoop me up, last time I took it was right after fire school and it was nothing but I had been used to doing a long Combat Challenge. Cardio and core muscles are definitely the things needed to prepare most for testing IMO. |
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How many of y'all have taken the CPAT?
It's kicked my ass a few times.....
And good luck to you Op! We do the combat bi-annually to keep our jobs. Some of the guys want to switch to CPAT, since you don't breathe out of your airpack. Those are, co-incidentally, the ones that have never done the CPAT. I have done it, and it is a butt whipper for sure! Last time I did it, I felt good on the stair climber. Then I stepped off. Talk about Bambi on ice! I got through it, but man it is tough. |
| You should be able to do the CPAT without a problem. It's really not that hard if your in good shape. Get a 50lb vest and run up and down some stairs, it's not just running. You need physical strength also. Get your upper body in shape, pull ups, push ups and such. If you want the job train for it. Raising ladders, pulling ceilings, advancing a hoseline, forcing doors takes strength. Cardio is a key part of the job but it's not all of it. |
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you looking at baltimore city fd? are you a minority female? if so, don't worry about being in shape. 
if not don't worry about being hired. Yes I am. And that's actually what I was thinking. Plus with all the current budget problems and alternating house closings (or whatever it is called) I've kind of lost interest. Who knows, if I hear they're starting a class soon I'll probably put in an application. Are you a Baltimore City Police officer? |