CPAT day

Another test/certification day has come. Today, in about 2 hours, I will be lining up to do the Candidate Physical Abilities Test. It is a timed test that I have to complete 8 stations in ten minutes and twenty seconds. It will be a hard fought 10 minutes and twenty seconds, but one that I am confident that I will be able to succeed in doing. I have visualized these event a thousand times in my head, been running at least twice a week for about 2 months and, most importantly, I have a never say die attitude. Basically they will have to drive me to the hospital before I would quit. If I do end up failing this test it will be my body shutting down on me way before I throw in the towel myself.

I try my hardest to no believe in jinxes, coincidences or any divine intervention kind of stuff. I am working this morning and will go straight from my bank job to take the test. My first customer this morning was an Overland Park firefighter cashing his pay check. Can't help but feel that is a good sign. My wife thinks it is god talking to me. I highly doubt that but if it is my only words back to him would be there is a lot bigger issue to worry about than my CPAT. Please go worry about something more important!

So the first station is that hardest one. They say 80 to 95% of the people who get passed the first station pass the test. Basically they wear you out, so then you have to do the rest of the test tired. You start with a 50 pound vest that has an extra 25 pounds of weight for the first station only. It is a brutal three minutes and twenty seconds on a stair mill at a rate of 60 steps per minute. Needless to say you are breathing really hard coming off those stairs.

Coming off the stairs they take the 25 pounds off and you do the rest of the test wearing only 50 pounds of weight. In between each station is 85 feet where you must walk as no running is allowed.

So 85 feet after the stair mill you arrive to the hose drag.

Pull the hose up and around a 90 degree turn then down to a knee and by hand you pull the remaining 100 feet of hose. After the stairs this will be a challenge but it is uncharged hose and that is a much easier feet than pulling a charged line.

85 feet later you are on to the equipment carry.

Carrying two unequal sized saws down a path and back while safely lifting and carrying them. this is a good chance to make up time with big steps and a chance to take a breather.

Another 85 feet and we are on to the ladder raise.

One ladder you throw up against the wall by walking in rung by rung until it's tip touches the wall. then a step over and you must extend a ladder by using the halyard. This must be done in a hand over hand fashion and you can't let it slip or fall uncontrolled.

You guessed it, 85 feet later the forcible entry station.


Any where from 5 to 20 hits with a sledge hammer will get you by this station. When practicing this one I was surprised that this station is more about technique than strength. If you hit the sweet spot on the prop it goes easier. You don't actually have to blow your wad trying to hit this thing as hard as you can.

After another 85 foot breather you are on to the search station.

After a crawl through a "maze" that is a dark u-shaped set of boxes that have a variety of heights and a few skinny sections to it. This is one where it is important to make sure you helmet and gloves are fitting ok!

Up from the darkness you walk 85 feet to the rescue station.

Pulling a dummy, I think it is 165 - 170 pounds, is a lot harder than it sounds. It is completely dead weight and the arms and legs can bend funny ways that most humans don't. But this is the next to last station and there is no quitting allowed. Especially at this point.

The last 85 feet takes you to the ceiling breach and pull station.

The last one, things are really difficult now. Pushing the machine up 3 times and pulling it back down 5 times is one set. Four sets need to happen and then time expires.

Are you ready to go, or tired from reading? I am ready to go...

They don't teach you about this in school

On Monday a tragic event took place involving the Kansas City Missouri Fire Department. On the way to a injury accident they were involved in an injury accident of their own. They struck and killed a 7 year old boy. This is a tragedy that will hang over the heads of the boys family, friends and the family and friends of the firefighters involved.

As a firefighter you are dedicating yourself to helping others. You are prepared to see some very bad situations. You are prepared for the fact that you can't help everyone and some people are going to die no matter how great of a life saving attempt you give. No one is prepared to kill another human being, firefighter or not, and especially if the human is a child.

The driver of this truck will never be the same person. At best he has months and months of counseling, talking and making amends with himself. At best he will be able to be rehabilitated from this and will be allowed to rejoin his department. Most likely this is something that this driver will think about for the rest of his life. PTSD doesn't just happen to soldiers returning from war. This driver will most likely see the image of this child that he undoubtedly feels responsible for killing every where he looks and defiantly in his dreams. Reports say that the driver had to be physically removed from the truck and he was clearly crying and broken. Who wouldn't be?

The other three firefighters jumped immediately from the truck in hope there was something they could do. There was nothing. A 22 ton vehicle versus a 7 year old boy only ends one way. The boy losses. Tragic no matter how you slice it. A family losses their son and brother and the firefighters have to deal with the fact that someone has died directly resulting from them.

Lots of controversy has surrounded this event. The boys father thinks that a cover up has happened and that the story has changed to protect the firefighters because their family is black. They say the truck didn't have lights and sirens on and that it was speeding through a school zone. I am going to give the father the benefit of the doubt about his intentions with these outlandish allegations. One thing I am sure about, this death is no one's fault. It is not a firefighters fault for responding to an emergency call. It is not the 7 year old boys fault for running out in the street in front of a fire truck. This is just a tragic event. There is an assumed risk that in driving any automobile that accidents are going to happen and sometimes people are going to die. It is also an assumed risk that in letting small children walk home from school accidents are going to happen and every once in a while those result in deaths. In this horrible event it just happens that both of these assumed risks happened at the same time.

I would never wish this situation on anyone. Like I said I will reserve my judgment on the events that took place. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter because there is still a dead boy out there. Lights and sirens or not. Speeding or not. Failing to look both ways before you cross the street or not. A person is dead and now is the time to support each other, not point fingers at each other.