Firefighter Recruitment; Anatomy of a PROCESS!

This year the City of Ottawa is holding their first recruitment in over 3 years. The number of recruits is not known but with many retirees’ and the long gap between hiring the number is said to be high. This is also the first year I apply since before I went to university.

The process is designed to weed through high numbers of applicants. Stage 1; application process requiring a $175 admin fee and the following documents; CPR/first-aid, high school and the one that removes many people (b/c it is a $1200 course and exam) a D/Z driver’s license.

In Ottawa there were 1200 individuals that made it through the first stage and were asked to attend Stage 2 in May; the written exams. The first exam in the morning is;

The Cooperative Personnel Services; complete with 4 sections:
1).Written and oral comprehension 2). Mechanical aptitude 3). Mathematical reasoning 4). Interpersonal relations in a community living situation. Afternoon exam; The Occupational Specific Firefighter; does the candidate have the ability to; 1). Work within a team 2).Work within a command structure 3). Cope with stress 4).Work under stress

Once these exams are completed you wait two month to find out if you passed and are moving to Stage 3; The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). This is the fun part. You make it here and you are more then half way to being a fireman/woman. CPAT has 8 stages while wearing a 25lbs vest to simulate bunker gear;

Event #1 - Stair Climb - Maintain 60 steps/min for 3mins. Off to;
Event #2 - Hose Drag – 22m(75ft) of hose to a pre-positioned point, and continue for 7m(25ft). The candidate will then take a knee and pull 15m(50ft) of hose to the finish line. Off too;
Event #3 - Equipment Carry - 2 saws, one in each hand, and carry them 22m(75ft) and then back to the starting point. Off too;
Event #4 - Ladder Raise and Extension – Raise 72m (24ft) aluminium extension ladder, hand over hand on each rung. Then extend it to its full length. Then lower. Off too;
Event #5 - Forcible Entry - use a 4.5kilo (10lbs) sledgehammer to strike a metal device along a track hitting the target until the signal is activated. Off too;
Event #6 - Search – You have to crawl through a narrow tunnel that continues to narrow as you go along the 150ft. I like to call it the claustrophobia test. During college a buddy of mine got me pinned between the floor, the air pack on my back and the victim below me. I yelling to him that I needed to push the victim forward to keep going and in his nervous state and wanting to just get out he pushed my feet thus wedging me in the tight barrel with nothing I could do. Luckily my friend directly in front of me in the barrel realized what was going on and crawled back enough to pull me lose. This is done in a completely dark room with our masks blacked out with tape? A feeling that took some getting use to. Many people stop here as they can’t go the full length.

Event #7 - Rescue - Drag a 74kilo, 165lbs mannequin 70ft. Then finish with
Event #8 - Ceiling Breach and Pull – With a pike pole push a simulated ceiling up 3 times and pull down 5 times by 5 rounds.

That is it. You pass this successfully and get one of the top times you move on to stage 4, the Interview which includes; Police Records Check, Driver Profile / Abstract, Reference Check, and Medical Assessment.

The interview is a panel consisting of the Chief, Deputy, Fire admin and HR rep. If they like what they see in the panel interview then you are as good as in. Unless they have more then they require at the time then you go on the "go to list" to wait until a position opens. This was definitely designed to weed through to find what they consider to be the best candidates.

WOD Arm and tri work then limited time and a little tired from yesterday;
As many rounds in 10mins
10 chins
20 wipers 10/side @ 95lbs
20 Snatches 10/side @ 20lbs
Total of 6 rounds