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Physical Agility
I didn't mean to try and hi-jack another post, so I will start my own. It was brought up that maybe firefighters should have manditory medical exams, I say go it a step further and have firefighters, vollie AND payed...yes PAYED participate in annual physical agilities as well. All I'm asking for is a walk thru of whatever YOUR department uses. It doesnt have to be world record or ba** busting...just a simple walk thru of a skills test.
Ideas?????
Ideas?????
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Dunbar on
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Well, just my opinion but I think passing the c-pat test annually would be a fair way of doing an annual agility test, as far as the physicals it is a good idea, but some places I know that do them the results only go to the individual so the employer never finds out if somebody has a serious condition. Paid or volunteer has no bearing on if it should be done or not, it most likely comes down to funding the full physicals (blood work,chest x-ray, 12lead ekg, stress test, ect) can be very expensive.
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Permalink Reply by Robert C. Baker on
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I'm not sure about the c-pat thing, I know of some depts that have gone away from that agility test and opted for one of similar design and more firefighter specific job orientated. Which I see as a plus either way because all career and volunteer are doing the same thing at the same time. Also the department as well as the individual are aware of the results.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon "Gopher" Runer on
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So a question... To start off I am part of a volunteer department. We have a couple of guys who are bigger and older that no longer pack up or make entry. The one is an EXCELLENT pump operator. The other guy will go and get any equipment that we may need so we do not have to go all the way back to the truck. He also changes our SCBA bottles out and many little things like that. So here is my question: What would you suggest for a physical agilities test for these individuals? The time is coming up for our annual test and so just thought that you might have an idea. I am all for everyone passing a physical agility test as I want to see who I want to make entry with and to see who we may have to limit what they do on a fire scene.
Gopher
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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on
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Gopher...First I understand the limitations of the volunteer fire department and numbers of personnel etc. Here is my question to you. If you have a couple of guys who are older and larger who dont pack up and go in, however do other tasks on the fireground, what do you dowhen all he** breaks loose and somebody has to go in and make the rescue and its the older bigger guy who hasnt passed any type of agility testing in years?
Believe me brother, Im not trying to 'bag' on you, Im just throwing out ideas to help us ALL!
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Permalink Reply by PA Firefighter on
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I agree with you Jake. We never know when any of us is going to have to go in so we all have to be ready. A fire doesn't know or care how old or experienced you are. The job is the same at 21at 61. It's better to find out before it 's too late that somone cannot do the job.
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Thanks PA
Just to clarify...Im 48 years old. I go out and take the agility, whatever one we are using everytime we have a testing or are running a recruit class. Two reasons....1.) Just to make sure I still can 2.) Just to show the young 'bucks' that I still can.....lol
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Permalink Reply by Steffen Binninger on
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Hi, I'm from Germany, i can only speak for my volunteer department. We have for SCBA-users every year a physical test were you have to bring a physical strain of 90 kiloJoule with/under? SCBA . If miss that you're not allowed to use SCBA untill then you pass the test again. Additional there is every three years a checkup, that you have to pass with chest X-Ray, exercise ECG and more...
In the last years, there has been a programm " fit for firefighting" , launched I think by the DFV(Deutscher Feuerwehr Verband) but I'm not sure.
Professional fire brigades in Germany, I think have a "duty-sport-lesson".
I apologize for my bad english. Stay safe.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Wood on
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Haa haa i have trouble gettin some of my vets to get physical exams let alone agility test. The main bitch i hear is Were Volunteer we shouldnt have to do this.
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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First, you have better english than most of the American firefighters on this site. Secondly to answer the post we have nothing other than standard training.
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Permalink Reply by Florenz Buhrke on
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Over here (in North Germany) we have a saying regarding being a volunteer.
Freiwillige Feuerwehr.
Eintritt und Austritt sind freiwillig,
dazwischen liegt die Pflicht!
That translates roughly to:
Volunteer Fire Department
Joining and leaving are voluntary,
in between duty calls.
As for me. Being a fire fighter trained for wearing SCBA, I undergo the anual physical test mentioned by Steffen Binninger earlier. The worst part of the test imho is the infinite ladder.
Picture found on http://www.feuerwehr.minden.de/bf/atemschutz.php - Attachments:
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endlosleiter.jpg, 37 KB
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Mr Baker, The c-pat test was designed by the 5 largest fire departments in the country. There have been numerous studies done to prove that it is very FF specific, fair, and acurately judges whether or not someone has the physical ability to do the job of a FF. I really don't know how more job specific you can get than climbing stairs, dragging hose, lifting saws, raising ladders, going through a maze, dragging a dummy, and a simulated ceiling breach, and a forcible entry station. You should also know the Justice Department signed off on this test which would save a department from frivilous law suits.
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