ARFF Physical Aptitude Test for Firefighter Recruitment

Today I’m going to share with you the requirements of the ARFF physical aptitude test. I wanted to cover this topic for a couple of reasons, the first being that ARFF will be recruiting in the near future and the second is due to the slight differences from some of the other fire services throughout Australia.

Although the ARFF physical aptitude test differs slightly from some of the other services it also demonstrates the need for the sam fundamental fitness, strength and technique attributes.

For the latest information about the ARFF recruitment, check out our How to Become an Aviation Firefighter page.

Sit and Reach

Required to demonstrate your flexibility on a stretching box.

Confined Space Tunnel Crawl

Required to crawl through a tunnel with a mask on stand up at the other end and count to five then back through in 90 seconds.

Dummy Drag (Simulated Casualty Rescue)

Drag the dummy 50 meters backwards in 60 seconds around a track of witches hats.

Ladder Raise and Lower

Raise and lower a large ladder twice in 60 seconds without resting it on your body or touching it on your helmet only using the rungs / rounds of the ladder.

Simulated Ladder Climb

This one requires you to do 26 controlled step-ups to a height just below your knee whilst wearing a BA ( breathing apparatus cylinder ) on your back.

Elevated Equipment Haul & Visual Recognition

The requirement here is to haul a 20kg container up to an elevated area using a hand over hand technique and then lower it using the same technique in a controlled fashion. This one requires good upper body and control. You will then be required to identify signage from the elevated area.

Equipment Carry

You will be required to carry 2 jerry cans around an obstacle course of witches hats 50 meters, you will be allowed to reset your grip once throughout. there is a generous 60 second limit on this evolution

Hose Drag and Hold

Required to advance a large fire hose approx 65mm in diameter then open the hose and control it for 60 seconds, the time allowed for this task is 90 seconds in total

Each of the above steps is referred to as an evolution (task ). As you can see from the above 8 tasks although they vary slightly they all use the same attributes to conduct being.

Flexibility for the sit and reach
Upper body strength for the dummy drag as well as the equipment haul, equipment carry & the hose drag evolutions
Lower body strength for the dummy drag and hose drag and hold
Good Technique required for the hose hold, equipment haul and ladder evolutions
Ability To Work In Confined Space required for the tunnel crawl although it is fairly spacious as far as tunnels go

My tip for the above tasks is: Firstly familiarise yourself with the exact tasks and come up with an activity or training plan to incorporate an excursive or routine that is going to improve you in the areas required to pass these tests with ease, when I say with ease I like to make sure i can do at least 25% more than what is required, more if possible.This will make the experience actually enjoyable as you will be confident on the day.

If you require further guidance I have included a full training program in my book and am always here to answer any questions you may have so feel free to leave comments and ask me questions.

I hope you have enjoyed this update on the ARFF physical aptitude test.

Cheers,

Brent

P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you Get The Edge over the competition

1. Get my FREE Training – “How to Become Firefighter without wasting time”, I conduct a free training where I show you the proven roadmap on how to become a firefighter without wasting time and money. – Click Here2. Join our Firefighter Recruitment Training page, It’s our new Facebook community where smart, aspiring firefighters learn how to get the edge and land in the top 5% – Click here

3. Join our Membership Implementation Program, Get access to all courses and software, LIVE Q&A group, access to the industry’s best aptitude and interview coaches. – Get into the Top 5% of Applicants – Click Here

4. Work with me and the team, privately, If you’d like to work directly with me and the team to give yourself the best chance for your upcoming recruitment campaign, let us know a little about your situation to see if we are a good fit for each other – Click Here

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Brent C

After becoming a Firefighter, I developed a massive interest in the Fire Services Recruitment and Selection Processes. I've been in the fire service working since 2007 to learn everything about how Fire Services Recruitment works. I've tested and refined proven methods to help people get the edge over the competition. Today, over 300 of my former students are living their Firefighter dream.