[quote]Nate Gates wrote:
How old are you and what is your current fitness level?[/quote]
I am 23 years old and I am in excellent physical condition. I can probably pass the test in the condition that I am in today, but I want to perform the best that I possibly can on the day of the test.
[quote]EMT-FF Jordan wrote:
nice[/quote]
Yeah it’s good, I get paid REALLY good and have a pension that will allow me to retire at 50 (yeah right) for doing “nothing”.
What part of Cali are you in?
[quote]OldSchoolSwole wrote:
[quote]lanchefan1 wrote:
[quote]OldSchoolSwole wrote:
I have made the cut off for the San Antonio Fire Department’s entrance exam and I am currently preparing for their CPAT. Do any firefighters have advice for how I should train for it? I am mostly concerned with improving my cardiovascular endurance for the 8 events.[/quote]
Congrats on making that all important first cut!
However I don’t agree with what fighting_fires said about the CPAT. Having done several versions of this test, including in full bunker gear on air it can be a grueling piece of a test.
The hardest part by far is the first three minutes. My advice for this part is to find a gym with the stepmill style of stairmaster in it (the kind with actual steps rolling on it). Get a backpack and load it with 50#'s. Set the stepmill for 60 steps per min and start climbing. You need to get to a point where you can do this for at least three min without touching the bars at all.
When do they have the practice day coming up? I can give more tips before then.[/quote]
The CPAT Workshops are on 10/18/10 thru 12/30/10 and the actual testing starts on 01/03/11.
[/quote]
Ok make it a point to attend those and try out each event. They won’t let you time or go like you would but it will give you a chance to try and work different methods out. One of the biggest things I felt helped was training on stairs with some weight in a backpack and not holding the rails. I had access to a stairmaster so I could get used to the pace. You don’t think 60 steps a min is that fast till you’re at the 2 min mark and running out of gas.
Swole,
Like a previous poster stated, the stair climbing portion of the CPAT claims the majority of the people who fail it. As I waited in line to take it myself I watched as many people failed in those first three minutes of the test. Almost all of them flunked for grabbing the handrails. I think the biggest reason for this is simply not being used to wearing that much weight. Our department tests with 70 for the stairs and then removes 20lb for the rest of the test. I think the best way to train for this is by getting a weight vest. They are pricey but think of it as an investment in this career. If you really can’t afford one, do what one poster said and load up a backpack. It will be better than nothing.
As far as the rest of the test, it isn’t really anything a decently fit person can’t handle. Like you said, you will probably be fine in your current condition. But it you really want to destroy the CPAT I would start incorporating some intense, full body circuit training sessions a few times a week into your training. Think burpees, sledge hammer swings with a tire, sled drags, squats, pull ups, etc. Crossfit workouts or Ross Training stuff would be good to check out for this.
Good luck, man.
[quote]The CPAT Workshops are on 10/18/10 thru 12/30/10 and the actual testing starts on 01/03/11.
Ok make it a point to attend those and try out each event. They won’t let you time or go like you would but it will give you a chance to try and work different methods out. One of the biggest things I felt helped was training on stairs with some weight in a backpack and not holding the rails. I had access to a stairmaster so I could get used to the pace. You don’t think 60 steps a min is that fast till you’re at the 2 min mark and running out of gas.[/quote]
Just saw this and wanted to agree with his advice. Go to these! Not sure if it is the same with the the department you are trying to get in with but when I was going through the process, my dept. had ONE CPAT “orientation” and then weekly practice sessions. The practice sessions were workouts to help get people in shape for the test and included some of the CPAT events like dummy drags and sledge hammer swinging, etc. However the ONLY time we could see the whole CPAT laid out as it would be on test day was at the orientation. I think having been able to go through the whole course before the actual test was enough to give you a slight edge in that you knew EXACTLY what to expect and have at least experienced it all before even if not going for time.
[quote]eng5ine wrote:
[quote]The CPAT Workshops are on 10/18/10 thru 12/30/10 and the actual testing starts on 01/03/11.
Ok make it a point to attend those and try out each event. They won’t let you time or go like you would but it will give you a chance to try and work different methods out. One of the biggest things I felt helped was training on stairs with some weight in a backpack and not holding the rails. I had access to a stairmaster so I could get used to the pace. You don’t think 60 steps a min is that fast till you’re at the 2 min mark and running out of gas.[/quote]
Just saw this and wanted to agree with his advice. Go to these! Not sure if it is the same with the the department you are trying to get in with but when I was going through the process, my dept. had ONE CPAT “orientation” and then weekly practice sessions. The practice sessions were workouts to help get people in shape for the test and included some of the CPAT events like dummy drags and sledge hammer swinging, etc. However the ONLY time we could see the whole CPAT laid out as it would be on test day was at the orientation. I think having been able to go through the whole course before the actual test was enough to give you a slight edge in that you knew EXACTLY what to expect and have at least experienced it all before even if not going for time. [/quote]
Like they said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The first three minutes set the pace…I’ve seen people who just run out of gas on the last event right before they are done…it’s sad to see so much effort not get rewarded…Just pace yourself and prep and you’re going to do just fine! Good luck man.
[quote]lanchefan1 wrote:
[quote]EMT-FF Jordan wrote:
nice[/quote]
Yeah it’s good, I get paid REALLY good and have a pension that will allow me to retire at 50 (yeah right) for doing “nothing”.
What part of Cali are you in?[/quote]
Central Coast area of CA…I don’t get paid very well, but we get a really GOOD benefit package…So it’s good! But, we don’t do anything…no 100,000 acre brush fires, or veh accidents or other calls like that…
Hi guys,
I just passed the CPAT this morning. I completed it easily with something like 2.5 minutes to spare. The next step in the process is the ergometrics exam which I assume is a behavioral assessment.
congrats man, keep us updated on how youre coming along.
I passed the fireteam ergometrics test and I am currently working on a 20 page personal history statement. After I hand that in the next steps are the background check, polygraph test, physical examination, and psychological examination.
Fire Fighters in my city are grossly over paid. I hope it’s not the same in other jurisdictions.
start sh!t storm… now.
… I don’t get paid.
Actually, not one person in our fire house is paid.
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
… I don’t get paid.
Actually, not one person in our fire house is paid.[/quote]
I’m not talking about volunteer fireman, (I thought that was implied) I mean paid employees of the city.
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
… I don’t get paid.
Actually, not one person in our fire house is paid.[/quote]
Same here.
[quote]NvrTooLate wrote:
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
… I don’t get paid.
Actually, not one person in our fire house is paid.[/quote]
I’m not talking about volunteer fireman, (I thought that was implied) I mean paid employees of the city.[/quote]
I’m aware. There was some sarcasm in my post. I just like to play with cool fire trucks.
[quote]NvrTooLate wrote:
Fire Fighters in my city are grossly over paid. I hope it’s not the same in other jurisdictions.
start sh!t storm… now.[/quote]
Well what do they get paid? If you are going to make that statement base it on facts. I am not a fire fighter and do the FF in your city also work EMS?
Yah, fuck you guys for getting over paid. Oh, and PS if my house is ever on fire…please come save me. <3
[quote]DJHT wrote:
[quote]NvrTooLate wrote:
Fire Fighters in my city are grossly over paid. I hope it’s not the same in other jurisdictions.
start sh!t storm… now.[/quote]
Well what do they get paid? If you are going to make that statement base it on facts. I am not a fire fighter and do the FF in your city also work EMS? [/quote]
A friend of mine got a hold of the annual salarys which includes overtime pay and it averaged about 250k per year. My same friend then asked for the annual salarys of the PD and the city made it really difficult to obtain that data.
[quote]Rico Suave wrote:
Yah, fuck you guys for getting over paid. Oh, and PS if my house is ever on fire…please come save me. <3[/quote]
The military does more than just put out fires at people houses and doesn’t even make a fraction of what fire fighters make. They also put themselves in harms way a lot more often.
[quote]NvrTooLate wrote:
[quote]DJHT wrote:
[quote]NvrTooLate wrote:
Fire Fighters in my city are grossly over paid. I hope it’s not the same in other jurisdictions.
start sh!t storm… now.[/quote]
Well what do they get paid? If you are going to make that statement base it on facts. I am not a fire fighter and do the FF in your city also work EMS? [/quote]
A friend of mine got a hold of the annual salarys which includes overtime pay and it averaged about 250k per year. My same friend then asked for the annual salarys of the PD and the city made it really difficult to obtain that data.
[/quote]
I would like to see that report. If true, I need to change professions.
