There's no debate that our Central Texas civil servants are in shape. If you attended the Cap10K recently you saw a City of Austin police cadet formation running the 6.2-mile course. The last few weeks GoodHealth.com has taken a look at what it means to be "fit." Our recent article on Fitness Calculators concluded that the definition of fitness has morphed over time and now includes more of a state of well-being, with low risk of premature health problems and energy to participate in a variety of physical activities. While this broad definition addresses the population as a whole and moves them towards fitness and away from record levels of obesity, it doesn't address the specificity of certain tasks or sporting events.

It's very common for a child, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, to answer a firefighter or a police officer. While determination goes a long way to get one in a job of their choice, becoming a civil servant requires physical abilities as well. The safety of the residents in each community requires that firefighters and police personnel meet certain minimum requirements to do their job. Fire fighter candidates are required to take the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). Police candidates are required to take a Physical Training (PT) test. "The test requires a high level of aerobic capacity and considerable muscular endurance," says Jill Craig, M.S., Wellness Center Exercise Physiologist, Austin Fire Department. "Some candidates arrive prepared, some attempt the CPAT through three or four hiring cycles. AFD and the University of Texas have collaborated on a physical training program called Project Fire Power; it has proven to be very effective, especially for applicants with a relatively low percentage of lean mass."

Not only do these individuals get in shape for the physical fitness test but they must maintain their fitness throughout their time in civil service. "Every fire fighter must have a physical exam and a fitness assessment annually," says Jill. "They are shown comparisons across the years, but there is not a set standard they must reach to maintain operations status." At Austin fire stations there is a standard complement of fitness equipment and there is written policy that all fire fighters exercise for at least 60 minutes per shift.

Firefighter Requirements

The Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness/Fitness Initiative Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) consists of eight separate events. This test was developed to allow fire departments a means for obtaining pools of trainable candidates who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire scenes. In these events, the candidate wears a 50-pound vest to simulate the weight of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and firefighter protective clothing. "It was validated by an international team of technical experts, and approved by a fire service labor/management task force," says Jill. The CPAT is used in the selection process by numerous fire agencies throughout the country. Additional information is available at http://www.iaff.org/HS/CPAT/cpat_index.html .

The eight events include;

Stair Climb - Using a stair-climbing machine, this event is designed to test the ability to climb stairs in full protective clothing while carrying a high-rise pack (hose bundle) and firefighter equipment. Each candidate wears a 12.5-pound weight on each shoulder to simulate the weight of a high-rise pack.This event challenges aerobic capacity, lower body muscular endurance and the ability to balance.

Hose Drag - This event is designed to test the ability to drag an uncharged hose line from a fire apparatus to a structure and pulling an uncharged hose line around obstacles while remaining stationary. This event challenges aerobic capacity, lower body muscular strength and endurance, upper back muscular strength and endurance, grip strength and endurance, and anaerobic endurance.

A hose line nozzle attached to 200 feet of hose is grasped and placed over the shoulder or across the chest up to eight feet. While walking or running, the participant drags the hose 75 feet to a pre-positioned drum, makes a 90 turn, and continues an additional 25 feet. After stopping within the marked box, the candidate drops to at least one knee and pulls the hose line until the 50-foot mark crosses the finish line.

Equipment Carry - This event uses two saws and a tool cabinet replicating a storage cabinet on a fire truck. It simulates the critical tasks of removing power tools from a fire apparatus, carrying them to the emergency scene, and returning the equipment to the fire apparatus. This event challenges aerobic capacity, upper body muscular strength and endurance, lower body muscular endurance, grip endurance, and balance.

The candidate must remove the two saws from the tool cabinet, one at a time, and place them on the ground. Then he/she picks up both saws (one in each hand) and carries them while walking 75 feet around a drum, then back to the starting point.

Ladder Raise and Extension - This event, which uses two 24-foot aluminum extension ladders, is designed to simulate the placement of a ground ladder at a fire structure and extending it to the roof or window. This event challenges aerobic capacity, upper body muscular strength, lower body muscular strength, balance, grip strength, and anaerobic endurance.

Forcible Entry - This event uses a mechanized device that measures cumulative force and a 10-pound sledgehammer. It simulates the critical tasks of using force to open a locked door or to breach a wall. This event challenges aerobic capacity, upper body muscular strength and endurance, lower body muscular strength and endurance, balance, grip strength and endurance, and anaerobic endurance.

Search - This event uses an enclosed search maze that has obstacles and narrowed spaces. This event tests the ability to search with limited visibility in an unpredictable area. This event challenges aerobic capacity, upper body muscular strength and endurance, agility, balance, anaerobic endurance, and kinesthetic awareness.

For this event, the candidate crawls through a tunnel maze that is approximately 3 feet high, 4 feet wide, 64 feet in length, and has two 90 turns and multiple obstacles.

Rescue - This event uses a weighted mannequin equipped with a shoulder harness to simulate the critical task of removing a victim or injured partner from a fire scene. This event challenges aerobic capacity, upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance, grip strength and endurance, and anaerobic endurance.

The participant grasps a 165-pound mannequin by the handles on the shoulders of the harness, drags it 35 feet, makes a 180 turn around a pre-positioned drum, and continues an additional 35 feet to the finish line.

Ceiling Breach and Pull - This event uses a mechanized device that measures overhead push and pull forces and a pike pole. The pike pole is a commonly used piece of equipment that consists of a six-foot long pole with a hook and point attached to one end. This event simulates the critical task of breaching and pulling down a ceiling to check for fire extension. It challenges aerobic capacity, upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance, grip strength and endurance, and anaerobic endurance.

After removing the pike pole from the bracket, the participant places the tip of the pole on a 60-pound hinged door in the ceiling and pushes it three times while standing within the established boundary. Then, the pike pole is hooked to a 80-pound ceiling device and pulled five times. Each set consists of three pushes and five pulls; the set is repeated four times.

Police Requirements

An Austin Police Officer is required to be in adequate physical condition to defend himself or herself and others from the potential dangers that are inherent in law enforcement. The APD Training Academy has developed a physical training (PT) program that attempts to improve the muscular strength and endurance as well as the cardio respiratory ability of its cadets as they train to become officers. Although the PT curriculum is rigorous and cadets are strenuously trained toward an exit standard which is based on job performance and not gender or age, APD applicants are expected to arrive at the Training Academy at a certain level of fitness. For proper form guidance, APD has created a printable guide for push-ups and sit-ups .

Cadets are assessed physically two times during the training academy at defined intervals before they undertake a PT final assessment near the completion of their training program. The requirements for a cadet to pass this test are to perform:

• 300 meter run in 54 seconds or less
• 35 or more push ups (untimed)
• 33 or more sit ups in one minute
• bench press of his/her body weight
• vertical jump of 18 inches
• 1.5 mile run in 13:14 or less

For more information, please contact:

Employment Office
Austin Fire Department
4201 Ed Bluestein Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78721
(800) 832-5264 or (512) 974-0100
Or contact us by e-mail at Employment Office .

The Austin Police Department is currently accepting pre-screen application packets for an anticipated March 2nd 2009 cadet class. In order to be allowed to test you must have your pre-screen and documents in prior to the testing dates. It is anticipated that APD will hire approximately 100 cadets or more to fill this cadet class.

If you have any questions, please call (512) 974-4211, (800) 832-5264, or fax (512) 974-4212, Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 4:00 pm or come by the Recruiting Office at 1520 Rutherford Lane Bldg. # 3, Austin, Texas 78754. If you need to mail documents to the recruiting office, the mailing address is P.O. Box 689001, Austin TX, 78768.