Experience Put to the Test
So. Cal Front Line Firefighters Become CPAT Proctors
On May 4th, the California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC) trained 50 active front line firefighters - representing fire departments and local unions from the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Orange - to become certified CPAT Proctors.
“We are very excited by the outpour of interest in our program,” said CFFJAC Chair Dan Terry. “In fact, we had even more firefighters in this area signed up to become certified as CPAT proctors, but they were called away due to the recent fires in Riverside County.”
Though the CFFJAC has highly publicized its CPAT program and has conducted the test in several locations across California over the last five years, this was the very first proctor orientation and certification event hosted by the CFFJAC in its brand new CPAT building, located in the city of Orange.
Facilitated by Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) Instructor, Kevin Klar, the CFFJAC’s “Proctor Training Day” began with a two-hour overview explaining the concept behind the CPAT test – which is to set a standard for effectively measuring whether a prospective firefighter is up to the physical demands of the job. The orientation also introduced each piece of equipment firefighter candidates would be tested on, and the time-frame they had to perform and complete each task.
A CPAT Proctor will follow, not lead, the candidate throughout the test. The Proctor will time, monitor for safety, and provide direction during the eight events. The CPAT is a pass/fail test based on a validated maximum total time, and is designed to simulate the challenges that a firefighter would tackle on the fire lines. From the ‘Hose Drag’, to the ‘Ceiling Breach & Pull’, to the ‘Forcible Entry’ drill, these events are placed in a sequence that best replicates their use in a fire scene.
“I thought this test was very realistic,” said San Diego Firefighter/Paramedic, and now certified CPAT Proctor, Shannon Mueller. “The CPAT test is tough – but we need tough firefighters out on the fire lines. This test simply assesses an individual’s physical abilities, without assessing one’s ethnicity, race or gender.”
“There are a lot of young adults out there who are interested in a career in the fire service,” said CPAT Director Kevin White. “But, not everyone can be a firefighter. The CPAT definitely tests that concept.”
Today, the CFFJAC will host its first official CPAT test at the new CPAT building. If you are currently in the fire service and have a new crop of candidates, now is the perfect time to take advantage of this unique service offered by California’s premier labor-management training partnership; and if you are an up and coming firefighter candidate – you’d better act now! Submit your application to enroll in the next CPAT test. Several more tests dates are already scheduled and as those fill up, the schedule will be expanded to accommodate the needs of the fire service.
Need an application? Or know of someone that’s up to the challenge? Click here.