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Steps for application.
1. Complete Interest Card at Any
Huntersville FD station.
Interest card
2. Once Contacted by HFD you will be
required to complete and pass the following
-Application
-Physical Agility Test (Test description is listed below)
-Drug, Credit, Background Check
-Approval By the Board of Directors.
Huntersville Fire Department Physical Agility
Test
This Physical Ability Test consists of
four separate events. This test is a sequence of events that requires the
candidate/firefighter to progress along a predetermined path from event to
event in a continuous manner. This test was developed to allow fire departments
to obtain a pool of firefighters/candidates that are physically able to perform
essential job tasks at fire scenes. This is a pass/fail test based on a
validated maximum total time of 8 minutes.
Weights and
Clothing
In these events, you wear a 50-pound (22.68-kg) vest to simulate the weight of
a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and fire fighter protective
clothing.
Event #1-Stair Climb.
This event is designed to stimulate the critical tasks of walking up stairs in
full protective clothing while carrying firefighter equipment. For the test,
you must walk up the staircase at a set stepping rate of 60 steps per minute
for 3 minutes. During the test, you are permitted to touch the wall or handrail
for balance only momentarily. However, if the wall or handrail is grasped or
touched for an extended period of time, or if the wall or handrail is used for
weight bearing, you have failed the test. This concludes this event.
Event #2-Hose Drag.
For this event, you must grasp a hose line nozzle attached to 100 feet of 1-¾
inch hose. Place the hose line over your shoulder or across your chest. Stop
when you have stretched all 100 feet straight, drop to at least one knee and
pull the hose line until the hoseline’s 50-foot (15.24 m) mark crosses the
finish line. During the hose pull, you must keep at least one knee in contact
with the ground. This concludes the event.
Event #3- Rescue.
This event is designed to simulate the critical task of removing a victim or
injured firefighter from a fire scene. This event challenges his/her upper and
lower body muscular strength, endurance and grip strength. For this event, you
must grasp a 165 pound mannequin under the shoulder(s) or bye the arms and drag
it 25 feet to a pre-positioned marker, make a 180 degree turn around the cone,
and continue an additional 25 feet to the finish line. You are permitted to
drop and release the mannequin and adjust your grip. The entire mannequin must
be dragged until it crosses the marked finish line. This concludes this event.
Event #4- Forcible Entry.
This event is designed to simulate the critical tasks of using force to open a
locked door or to breach a wall. The forcible entry evolution utilizes the
Keiser Force Machine (a chopping simulator). Using the 9-lb shot mallet
provided, the competitor must drive the sled; a 160-lb steel beam a horizontal
distance of 5-ft. Pushing, raking or hooking the beam is not allowed; only the
head of the mallet is allowed to strike the beam. This concludes the physical
agility test.
If you successfully become a
Huntersville Firefighter, you will have to complete the following annually:
Huntersville Fire Department Annual FRPAT
Firefighter Related Physical Ability Test
This
test establishes a guideline ensuring that all members up to and
including the rank of Chief are fit for duty and possess at least the minimum
physical abilities necessary to perform essential firefighter functions. HFD
utilizes the Firefighter Related Physical Ability Test (FRPAT) as the test to
determine “fit for duty” status - annually.
The
FRPAT consists of the following: During the entire test,
the participant will wear full turnout gear including SCBA. Time runs
continuously from start to finish.
1. Begin breathing from SCBA, Pick up a
high‐rise pack at base of stairwell (100‐foot
section of 1¾ inch hose formed into a “soft pack”). While carrying high‐rise
pack, climb stairs to the 3rd floor of the tower. Drop the high-rise pack in
the breezeway.
2. Enter into 3rd floor room off of
breezeway. Advance to nozzle end of charged hose section (50 feet of 1 ¾ inch
hose filled with water. Crawl on all fours the 25 foot L-shaped course while
dragging charged hose section. When reaching end of course, pull the remainder
25foot of hose section across event line while remaining on at least one knee.
3. Using the stairs make your way down
to the second floor and enter the 2nd floor off of breezeway.
Advance to the hose hoist at the wall on the 2nd floor. Hands over
hand pull on the rope until the rolled 2 ½ inch rolled hose is advanced from
the bottom floor to the top rail and onto the floor of the 2nd
floor.
4. Using the stairs make your way down
to the open door on the first floor. This event is designed to simulate the
critical task of removing a victim or injured firefighter from a fire scene.
This event challenges his/her upper and lower body muscular strength, endurance
and grip strength. For this event, you must grasp a 165 pound mannequin under
the shoulder(s) or by the arms and drag it 25 feet to a pre-positioned marker,
make a 180 degree turn around the cone, and continue an additional 25 feet to
the finish line. You are permitted to drop and release the mannequin and adjust
your grip. The entire mannequin must be dragged until it crosses the marked
finish line. This concludes the FRPAT
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