THE CPAT ! Firefighting is a physically demanding job and applicants must pass the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) to be accepted into the academy. It’s a tough test, designed to simulate the real-world tasks firefighters face on the fire ground. Candidates have to wear a 50 pound weight vest for the entire test! TFD is rolling out a three-part series: introducing the test, walking you through it, and highlighting the biggest challenges (stairs!) Training Captain Phil Anderelli explains t

The CPAT exam: Candidate Physical Ability Test. The CPAT is a pass/fail timed test (10 minutes; 20 seconds) which consists of eight separate events: stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise and extension, forcible entry, search, rescue, and ceiling breach pull). The test is a sequence of events that requires the candidate to progress along a predetermined path from event to event in a continuous manner. In these events, the candidate wears a 50 pound vest to simulate the weight of t