The Applicant Physical Agility Test (PAT) was developed to allow West Metro Fire Protection District to obtain a pool of trainable employees who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire and medical scenes. The PAT is comprised of two timed sections:  

Section 1: Fire ground tasks will include six stations  

Section 2: Wildland aerobic capacity evaluation is one station 

The PAT is a score based test just like the written/oral board exams. This test can be used as a pass/fail test or a score-based test.  

RULES: STRUCTURAL/EMERGENCY RESPONSE TASKS: 

1. Applicant must strike every step with one of his/her feet in all sections of the tower. Failure to strike each stair will result in immediate disqualification. Applicant may not use handrails unless to regain their balance after a slip/trip and then immediately let go.
2. Applicant may walk/jog/run in all phases of the PAT course.
3. Applicant must complete each station in its entirety before transition to the subsequent station may occur. Failure to correctly complete each station will result in termination of the test. 
4. Failure to complete Section 1, stations 1-6, in 5:00 minutes and 30 seconds or less will result in automatic termination of the PAT. 
5. Failure to complete Section 2, the "Wildland Task", in less than 3 minutes will result in automatic termination of the PAT. 
6. PAT scores will be based on successful completion of the entire course. Scores are arranged by time deviations. 
7. Fire Ground Tasks: Time will start when the applicant steps forward onto the first stair and ascend to the top/turn around marker. For stations 1-6 the applicant can wear gloves (can use own), and comfortable physical fitness attire. Time stops when any part of the fan hits the top of the redbox at station 6.
8. Applicant will have a two-minute transition period between the end of station 6 and the start of the wildland task.  The course timer will have every applicant on separate stopwatch during this transition phase with no deviation in process. 
9. Wildland Task: The applicant will wear a 28-pound vest for station 7. The applicant’s time will start and stop when the applicant crosses the line with any part of his/her head or body. 

STATION 1: TOWER CLIMB:

• Enter on east side double door and start at base of staircase
• Put 50lb hi-rise over one shoulder and take step forward up onto first stair in tower
• Carry a 50 pound hi-rise pack (made up of one 50' section of 2½" hose) up to the top/turnaround marker (100 steps) 
• Time will start when the applicant steps forward onto the first stair.

STATION 1-2 TRANSITION:

• Walk/jog directly from turnaround marker back down to 3rd floor (down 60 stairs) using the same interior stairwell. No use of handrails unless applicant falls and uses rails to catch oneself.

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

•  Failure to use every step while ascending or descending stairs  
•  Using handrails due to fatigue and not loss of balance

STATION 2: EQUIPMENT HOIST:

• Standing behind the line under the 3rd floor door facing west, hoist a 50-pound hoseball roll upward to the height of the 3rd floor top rail using a hand-by-hand method
• Applicant shall be in complete control of the rope, pulling inward towards body using primarily bicep, back, core, and shoulder muscles.   
• The proctor shall notify the applicant when the bag is fully raised
• Applicant can then let go of rope allowing hoseball to drop. (pully system will lower)

STATION 2-3 TRANSITION:

• Applicant will move down the hallway to the right(north) then take the first stairwell located in the middle of the tower, on the east side of the building, and descend exterior stairwell to the sidewalk, turn left, and head south to Station 3. Once applicants are off the staircase, they will proceed as fast as comfortable to Station 3. 

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

• Crossing the line because can’t control weight of hoseball.
• Failure to hoist the hoseball in a hand-by-hand method to the toprail
• Failure to control hoseball- allowing the rope to slide through hands, letting go of hoseball, or having to step back with hoseball to incorporate legs
• Sitting down to use weight of body to move bag upward instead of upper body strength, legs/glutes must stay at 90 degrees or above like sitting in a chair
• Failure to use every step while descending tower stairs

STATION 3: PULLEY EXTENSION:

• Assume "ready position"
• The applicant will raise a 50lb high-rise pack hand over hand and extend the pulley to simulate a 3-section 30' foot ladder to the top of the pulley
• Lower the pulley to the starting position, hand under hand
• The pulley shall be operated with full control at all times, applicant cannot let pulley slide through hands on the way back down, must lower under control

STATION 3-4 TRANSITION: 

• Advance to station 4 by traveling 100’ west to charged hose line

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

• Allowing waist to drop more than 12” from the “ready position”   
• Failure to fully retract the pulley to the bottom 
• Failure to operate the rope in a hand over hand method- rope cannot be wrapped around the applicant’s hand or arm when raising the high-rise pack upward
• Failure to control the pulley by hand under hand method or letting rope slip through hands when lowering high-rise pack back down to starting position
• Applicant cannot sit down or move feet backward to assist in raising high-rise pack up to top pulley

 STATION 4: CHARGED HOSELINE EXTENSION:

• Applicant will drag/pull a charged 1¾” hose line 75’ and place the nozzle on the ground. (Just set down the hose and do not flow water) 

STATION 4-5 TRANSITION:

• Advance to station 5 by running diagonally 45’ to position A or B. 

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

• Failure to drag the hose line 75’
• Throwing nozzle on the ground 

STATION 5: DUMMYDRAG:  

• Applicant will drag/carry/pull the "victim dummy" 75'

STATION 5-6 TRANSITION: 

• Advance to station 6 by traveling 110' feet to the east to fan station

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

•  Failure to drag/pull/carry the dummy 75’

STATION 6: FANCARRY:

• Applicant will remove a PPV fan from platform
• Applicant will carry 150'
• Return PPV fan to the platform in an upright position
• Time for section 1 will stop when any part of the fan hits the top of the platform 

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

• Failure to carry the PPV fan entire distance
•  Failure to replace the PPV fan in an upright position
• Dropping the PPV fan during any portion of the event due to fatigue
• Failure to keep fan above waist height at all times

 Failure to complete sections 1-6 in 5:30 or less results in failure.

STATION 6-7 TRANSITION:

• Applicants walk directly, without rest, roughly 200’ directly to the Wildland Station. Applicants will have two minutes from the end of section 1 and the start of section 2.  Stall tactics to create a longer rest period will result in immediate disqualification.  

STATION 7: WILDLAND AEROBIC CAPACITY EVALUATION:

• Walk or run with approximately a 27/28-pound vest ¼ mile
• The clock will start when the applicant crosses the starting line
• There will be a posted turn around point half way through the event
• The Physical Agility Test is complete, and clock will stop, when applicant passes over ¼ mile finish line with any part of the head or body

CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURES: 

• Failure to complete entire ¼-mile distance
• Failure to complete ¼ mile fast-walk/run in 3:00 or less

PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST IS COMPLETE!

WHAT TO WEAR TO THE PAT? 

• Running Shoes 
• Shorts or Sweat Pants (loose pants) 
• T-Shirt (long or short sleeve) 
• Gloves are optional, can be provided if you do not have a pair
• Bring your own hydration source