Let the Testing Begin

People wanting to be a Columbus Fire Fighter have their first step of a long process this week.

The first testing event started Monday.

Now that they know the instructions, the testing can begin.

Candidates for the Columbus Fire Department came to see if they have what it takes to be a fire fighter.

“This test measures their physical endurance, basically, if they can’t do this, they can’t do the jobs that required of them to be a fire fighter,” says Paula Carter, the training Captain.

Anyone who is interested has to take the Candidate Physical Ability Test, or CPAT, to even be considered.

And they have to finish in ten minutes and twenty seconds.

Russell Crase has taken the CPAT before, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier.

Crase says there is one event that is more challenging than others.

“Definitely the stair stepper, definitely the stair stepper and the dummy pull, if we didn’t have to do the stair stepper everything else would be a cake walk,” says Russell Crase, a candidate.

The stair steeper is the first of eight events.

“It’s just a steady pace, 75 pounds on your back and maintaining balance and it’s just hard, there’s no easy parts about it,” says Crase.

And that’s only the first event.

Next, they go to the hose pull, then the equipment carry, then over to the ladder raise and then the forcible entry test.

But they are still not done.

They have to go through the search maze, then the victim drag and finally, the push-pull machine.

After all of that, Crase is finally done.

“I think I did alright, ya know everybody wants to do it faster than the last time, it was hard, but I think I’m good to go,” says Crase.

He’s good to go.

He passed the test with one minute and 17 seconds left to spare.

But after all that, he’s still not guaranteed a job.

The fire department says they usually have a 70 percent pass rate.

Then the interview process begins, which includes two interviews.

If a candidate gets through the interview process, they are then hired.

But it’s not over yet, once in the department, they have to pass a series of tests to be a certified fire fighter.

That process takes about 6 months.

If you are interested in becoming a Columbus fire fighter, you’ll have to wait a bit.

The department only gives this test once a year and you have to sign up eight weeks prior to the testing dates.