Mesa Fire Department Candidate Physical Ability Test ©

Event 4:  Ladder Raise and Extension

This event, which uses two 24 foot aluminum extension ladders, is designed to simulate the placement of a ground ladder at a fire structure and extending it to the roof or window.  This event challenges aerobic capacity, upper body muscular strength, lower body muscular strength, balance, grip strength, and anaerobic endurance.

The participant must walk to the top rung of one ladder, lift the unhinged end from the ground, and walk it up hand over hand until it is stationary against the wall. Then he/she immediately proceeds to the other pre-positioned ladder, stands with both feet within the marked box, extends the fly section hand over hand until it hits the stop, then
lowers it in back to the starting position.

Immediate failure will result if the ladder is allowed to fall to the ground, if control is not maintained in a hand-over-hand manner, or if the rope halyard slips in an uncontrolled manner.  Missing any rung during the raise or allowing one's feet to extend outside of the boundary results in a warning; a second warning constitutes a failure.