The Standardized IAFF/IAFC CPAT Protocol
The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) measures candidate readiness for structural firefighting tasks. Candidates wear a 50-lb weighted vest (supplemented by two 12.5-lb shoulder weights during the initial Stair Climb to simulate high-rise pack weight).
The 8 CPAT Events
- Stair Climb: 20-sec warm-up at 50 steps/min, followed by 3 continuous minutes at 60 steps/min with a 75-lb total vest load.
- Hose Drag: 200 ft of 1.75-inch uncharged hose advanced 75 ft, followed by a 50-ft hand-over-hand pull.
- Equipment Carry: Two 30-lb chain saws carried 75 ft around a cone and returned to the staging shelf.
- Ladder Raise & Extension: Walk up a 24-ft aluminum extension ladder; unhook and raise the fly on a stationary ladder using a hand-over-hand halyard pull.
- Forcible Entry: Sledgehammer mechanical strike machine simulating door breaching (requires delivering 10.5-lb hammer blows until buzzer).
- Search Maze: Crawling through a 64-ft enclosed, lightless obstacle maze with restricted passages and narrow gaps.
- Rescue Drag: Dragging a 165-lb weighted mannequin 35 ft, navigating around a barrel, and returning 35 ft to the finish line.
- Ceiling Breach & Pull: Using a 6-ft pike pole to push an overhead weighted hatch (60 lbs) three times and pull an overhead lever (80 lbs) five times per set for 4 complete sets.