Firefighting requires above average aerobic and anaerobic capacity, muscular endurance and strength, and flexibility. Our Physical Agility Test is a fitness test developed by New Bern Fire-Rescue and specifically designed to identify individuals who have the physical attributes to perform the job of a firefighter.
The Agility Test consists of four separate legs. Leg #1 consists of Sit-ups, Push-ups and 1 ½-mile run. Leg #2 is the Tower Climb requiring the candidates to climb an aerial ladder to a minimum height of 50’. Extra points are received for every 10’ climbed up to 100’. Leg #3 is a Black-Out Mask Drill requiring the candidate to traverse a maze while wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) mask in zero visability, to assess their comfort level with claustrophobic conditions. Finally, Leg #4, which holds the most weight of the overall Agility Test, is the Firefighter Challenge Course. This test consists of nine stations as follows: Stair Climb (Ascending), Hose Raise, Stair Climb (Descending), Rescue Dummy Drag, Balance Beam, Wall Climb, a Simulated Ventilation/Forcible Entry, Ladder Carry/Raise and the Hose Line Advancement. This test is a sequence of events that requires the candidate to progress along a predetermined path from event to event in a continuous manner.Throughout all events, the candidate must wear clothing appropriate for exercise, a helmet with chin strap, work gloves, and footwear with no open heel or toes. Watches and loose or restrictive jewelry are not permitted.
During Leg #4, the candidate wears a weighted vest to simulate an SCBA and firefighter protective clothing. An additional 25 pound high-rise pack (hose bundle) is added for the stair climb event. The events are placed in a sequence that best simulates their use at a fire scene while allowing approximately 30 feet walk between stations. To ensure the highest level of safety and to prevent the candidate from becoming exhausted, no running is allowed between events. The walk allows the candidate approximately 10 seconds to recover and regroup before each event.
Two stopwatches are used to time the Agility Test. One stopwatch is designated as the official test time stopwatch; the second is the backup stopwatch. If mechanical failure occurs, the time on the backup stopwatch is used. For the Firefighter Challenge Course, the stopwatches are set to the pass/fail time and count down from 10 minutes. If time elapses prior to the completion of the test, the test is concluded and the candidate fails the test.
Click here for a detailed copy of our Physical Agility Test.