South Jordan Fire

PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST DESCRIPTION

Consistent with the tenants of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the South Jordan Fire Department will administer a continuously-timed, sequential physical ability test at least annually to incumbents and prior to making a final offer of employment to applicants. The test will provide the department and the municipality it serves with information regarding an applicant's or incumbent's ability (capacity) to perform essential firefighter physical tasks.

Applicants will wear a t-shirt/sweatshirt, long pants, athletic shoes, a turnout coat, helmet, structural firefighting gloves and a weighted self-contained breathing apparatus, without face piece (~52 lbs total). Incumbents will wear full structural firefighter protective clothing with self-contained breathing apparatus and be "on air" while taking the test.

The standard requires successful completion of the PAT, in 4 minutes and 22 seconds or less at the Bingham High School test site or 4 minutes and 44 seconds or less at the Murray High School stadium test site. There are no adjustments to the physical ability test standard for age, gender, and/or duty assignment. A description of the 5 task physical ability test is as follows:

Task 1:

Subject walks 10 feet from the Start line to the nozzle end of an S-laid, charge 1 -inch attack line (see schematic on page 11). Subject kneels at the start line, lifts the hose and drags it while crawling a distance of 20 ft. At the end of the 20 ft. crawl, subject stands and, using an over-the-shoulder grip, walks or jogs 50 additional feet while dragging the hose for a total drag distance of 70 feet. Once the hose nozzle crosses the task finish line, the subject drops the hose and moves to Task 2, the Stair Climb/Hose Load Carry.

Task 2:

From Task 1 subject walks about 18 feet, picks up a 53-pound hose pack (to shoulder or at chest height), and climbs to the top of the stadium stairs. With both feet on the top landing, subject drops the hose pack, turns and descends to ground level where subject picks up the second 53-pound hose pack. Carrying the second hose pack, subject climbs to the top of the stadium stairs. With both feet on the top landing, subject drops the hose pack. Subject then turns, walks through the opening in the wall at the top of the stairs and walks to Task 3, Forcible Entry.

Task 3:

Subject walks from the top of the stairs about 34 feet to the Keiser Force Machine. Subject will mount the Force Machine (facing in the direction he/she was walking), pick up the shot mallet and hit a 160-pound steel beam until it has moved five feet horizontally (the timer should tell the subject when this has been accomplished). For this task the subject will use a 9-pound shot mallet. Once the beam has been moved the required distance, subject drops the mallet and walks to Task 4, the Crawl.

Task 4:

After completing the forcible entry event in Task 3, the subject walks ~12 feet to the crawl task start/finish line where the subject drops to their hands and knees. Subject then crawls along a 75-ft long, L-shaped out-and-back course. Subject crawls forward ~13 feet to a barrier. Subject climbs over the barrier and crawls another ~13 feet to a 90 degree right turn. Subject crawls ~4 feet to a second barrier. Subject crawls under this barrier and crawls ~4 feet to a 180-degree turn around a traffic cone. Subject then returns to the task start/finish line by the same path, going under and over the same barriers. Total crawl course distance is 75 feet. When subject's knees reach the finish line, the subject rises and walks to Task 5, Victim Rescue.

Task 5:

Subject walks from the Crawl task about 75 feet to the Victim Rescue task start line approaching the 181-pound mannequin from the head end. The subject must lift and carry the mannequin in a manner such that only the heels of the mannequin are touching the surface. Lifting and carrying/dragging the mannequin requires the subject to squat at the mannequin's head and place his/her hands under the mannequin's head/neck, and raise the mannequin's torso into a seated position. The subject then grasps the mannequin by hooking both arms under the mannequin's armpits and clasping his/her hands in front of the mannequin's chest, if possible. The subject next lifts the mannequin using a "squat" type of lift involving his/her legs and maintaining the natural curve of the back in a safe lifting motion. Once the subject has elevated the mannequin, he/she begins a rearward walking movement keeping the torso of the mannequin at chest level (with the mannequin's "feet" dragging on the ground) dragging the mannequin 50 feet to the finish line until the mannequin's feet cross the end line. Once the mannequin's feet are across the line, the subject drops the mannequin and the test ends.