Charlotte Fire Department 2009

[kyhunter42]

The Capt at orientation said that there was 1600 people left in the process and they were hoping to hire 50 off this list. Enough to fill 2 academies, but they don't have a definite number yet. I'd say they won't know anything until the city passes the budget for the upcoming budget year.

[ffmahone10]

i went down as well on the 20th...had a pretty good time. I would say atleast half will get knocked out during the CPAT

[kyhunter42]

Saying half is being nice. I though only about 1/3 would pass from my group. You could tell that that alot of people's eyes where opened as to how tough the CPAT is.

[kyhunter42]

Which session where you in?

[ffmahone10]

i was in the 10 o clock session.

[ffmahone10]

email me ky

utkmba12@yahoo.com

[kyhunter42]

I made the 9 am. When is your CPAT. I go May 26th

[ffmahone10]

i saw a 40 yr old or so lady trying to sling that sledgehammer and she was having a rough time. we will see come may 27th!

[ffmahone10]

may 27th...im so ready for that day. but i just want to just keep going as long as i can!!

[battlecomedown]

I made the orientation on the 20th, and have the CPAT scheduled on the 26th. As for rates of failure for the test, 50% seems like a reasonable number to me. Many departments, even those that use some form of the Combat Challenge as a physical testing standard report high failure rates for their candidates. The key is to not get cocky, no matter how physically fit you may be. Keep training and good luck!

[battlecomedown]

I was the the orientation on Apr. 20th, and have a CPAT scheduled May 26th. 50% seems like a reasonable failure rate, as even departments that use some form of the Combat Challenge as a physical test report high failure rates. The trick to passing any physical is to keep from getting cocky, no matter how fit you may be. Keep training, especially on your cardio. Good luck to all.

Oh, and regarding the 40+ year-old woman struggling with some of the events, I wouldn't assume that she's going to fail. She still has two months worth of training possible before the Final CPAT in June. Don't count anyone out.

[fire3fighter0]

I too will be there on the 27th. Good luck to everyone!

[NBFSPQ]

Any new info out there about Charlotte?

[battlecomedown]

I haven't heard anything new. CPAT run-thrus are scheduled this month, and the Final CPAT tests are in June. I figure even if you score a passing time on the practice, you won't hear anything until at least late June/early July, when everyone has been given three opportunities to pass. Charlotte is actually moving quickly through the process, compared to most departments.

[NBFSPQ]

You say they are moving fast compared to other departments. Did they set a date for the academy yet or are they just testing to keep the applicant pool fresh?

[battlecomedown]

I haven't heard of an academy start date. At the CPAT Orientation, the Capt. leading the classroom portion stated that they were looking to hire 50 firefighters (2 classes), if funding was available (FY 2010 starts on July 1st). They had a class going on when we were down there, so I would guess that they intend to hire. Also, I don't think that Charlotte "keeps a list" like other cities. When they test, they hire (knock on wood).

When I was in the running for my current department (Columbia, SC), after the initial round of testing, I didn't hear anything for months. All told, it took eleven months to get hired, and the process itself was much less organized than it has been with Charlotte. Just be patient, and you should hear something. Good luck.

[AppSt06]

Hope training for the CPAT is going well for everyone. I know the orientation helped out a lot, saw how each event is all about technique and strategy. If any of you are on Twitter I suggest following the CFD at http://twitter.com/charlottefd gives live updates on major calls the city is running. Figure we're all trying to get on, this may only add fuel to the fire...no pun intended. While your at it, if you want, follow me as well... http://twitter.com/AaronStevens. Best of luck, I'll be in Charlotte the week for the test and take it on the 27th at 1.

-Aaron

[battlecomedown]

Did anyone else take the CPAT today? I passed, but was not happy with my time. This was my first time running the CPAT, and I thought the marked path between events was redundant in parts (i.e. walk down one direction to come back up where you started, then turn left, instead of making the straight line), but I understand that it's the nature of the CPAT. Good luck to everyone who's yet to take it.

Also, any word on how many are taking the CPAT? I heard 1600 at the orientation, but today, I heard that roughly 900 were taking the Timed Runs.

[kyhunter42]

I went through this morning. I passed with 2 minutes to spare, but a lot of people didn't. I saw a lot of yellow cards. As far as the walking distance being redundant, thats because the walking distance between each event is mandated by the CPAT test. If you shorten the distance then it is not the official CPAT test and the new test would to be validated.

[battlecomedown]

Yeah, the CPAT is a decent measure of physical fitness, but maybe in the future, some aspects of it can be tweaked. Prior to yesterday, I've only ever taken a Combat Challenge type test, which places more emphasis on upper-body strength and less on a person's cardio fitness/stamina (because there aren't any events with a mandated time, like the stair climb). I finished in 9:41 yesterday, which isn't good, but the ceiling breach was easy, and I felt like I could have done a few more events.

You said you saw a lot of yellow cards? What time did you take the test? I was in the eleven o clock session, and I saw one person fail. What sucks for the people that passed yesterday is that everyone has the final opportunity to pass in June, which slows down the process.