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What kind of shape are you in now? What are the physical requirements to get in? 20 days insn't much time to get ready for a physical challenge. Good luck.
Eh, no PROBLEM! As long as youre not too wasted as we speak.
The test is a snap. Maybe it's different in various areas. I know that I passed it with ease, and my older, drunker, MUCH more outta shape friend passed it...not quite with ease, but first time "go".
both of us wound up getting passed up for people who had been in an FD in another state...but it's the thought that counts. We got a letter saying "thanks for trying, we'll keep you in mind"
I dont know what the requirements are for the Fire academy in your state, but it is a joke in GA. Passed it with ease. As far as that goes, Police Academy was a joke also.
up and down 5 stories (thats 10 flights of stairs) 3 times in 5 minutes or less.
you have a 75 pound vest on + your hose.
thats the main part that i am worried about.
the other main event is carrying a 135 pound dummy a certain distance...
right now i consider myself about 50% of the way to being in good enough shape to do it...
And then the next guy behind you gets to practice his resuscitation...
I could probably do the stairs thing a bunch of times at a slow, steady pace, but the 5 minutes thing would be tough. As for carrying 135lbs. a certain distance, no sweat. I carry 5 gallon buckets of paint, two at a time all the time (roughly the same weight).
3 weeks of running will go a long ways toward building your cardiovascular/pulmonary system enough to pass the test, but I wouldn't run every day, more like 4-5 times/week--your muscles have to heal.
Well, here's something that you'll have to talk to an expert about..the running and what not..but I know that for that sort of thing, I would alternate training days, but still run every day.
Do sprints every day, but every other day, focus on longer runs, at least 2 miles.
The theory behind this, I'm sure you already know, but the sprints will get your muscles snappy and fast, but the long runs will build endurance. Get your heart and lungs into shape.
geesh thats not bad at all. We have to get in full bunker gear, plus full scba. Unroll a 2 inch hose, then roll it back up. Carry two bundles of hose (one in each hand) up 5 stories then run back down. Drag dead man fred (130-150 lb dummy) 50 feet, and then do the sledge hammer (hitting the sledge hammer to the sled about 15 times). All of that in 10 minutes or a tank of air.
A gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds. Paint is approx 50% water...so I would say paint weighs 11-12 pounds. Two five gallon buckets of paint at 11 a gallon would equal 55 pounds each x2 110 pounds plus 2 pounds for the buckets......112 pounds. Regular use of that weight will help alot......but the 135 pounds isnt likely be as easy and balanced to carry as buckets of paint. Still, I would think thats great practice.
If the test is based from the firefighter challange......its the cardio vascular stress that gets to you. Its one thing to do it.....its another thing to do it sucking stale metal flavored air from a can.