Fire Physical Agility

The Oakland Physical Agility Test (OPAT) is a pre-employment physical test based upon tasks that a firefighter would need to do on a fire ground.  There are both non-timed and timed sections that need to be accomplished.

Test Day Information

  • Report to the Fire Training Tower on the CREST facility, at the Auburn Hills Campus of Oakland Community College 30 minutes prior to the test time.
  • Photo ID is required for admission to ALL testing.
  • The completed OCC Registration/Health Screening Form is required for anyone taking the test.  The Physician/Physician's Assistant license number must be on the form.

Test Schedule

DATE TIME LOCATION
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 - FULL 5:00 PM CREST - Fire Training Tower
Saturday, March 22, 2025 9:00 AM CREST - Fire Training Tower
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 5:30 PM CREST - Fire Training Tower

Note:  Starting January 2025, all fire academy cadets are required to complete the Oakland Physical Agility Test (OPAT) as part of the admission requirements for the FIre Academy.  The OPAT must be completed within six (6) months of the first day of the Fire Academy you plan to attend. When you contact the Fire Academy office to schedule your OPAT, please indicate if you are going to be attending one of the upcoming academies.

Arrive 30 minutes early for all sessions!

The listed OPAT sessions are weather-dependent, and may need to be cancelled for safety reasons. If the OPAT is cancelled, we will contact all candidates before the test and will re-schedule as soon as possible.

Registration Information

To register for the OPAT call (248) 232-4580 or mail your Registration/Health Screening form and $100.00 (personal check, cashier's check, or money order only) made payable to Oakland Community College to:

Oakland Fire Academy
2900 Featherstone Road
Building J, Room 102
Auburn Hills, MI  48326

Registration/Health Screening Form

Physical Agility Tasks

The candidate will have long pants, shirt with shoulders covered, and adequate traction shoes with socks.  Don the supplied backpack with air tank, helmet and gloves.  All events must be done in a safe and controlled manner.  No tools may be dropped or thrown. The candidate must maintain forward motion during the event.

  1. Don the belt with belay and climb Thirty-Five feet (35’) on an extension ladder, descend the ladder.

  2. Pick up Fifty feet (50’) of bundled 2 ½” hose and ascend the stairs to the fifth floor.  One hand must remain available for the stairwell handrail at all times for safety.  Descend, back to the first-floor doorway.  Repeat 2 additional times (15 flights total).  Return the hose to the original location.

    Items 1 and 2 are not timed.  Timing will start when the candidate starts event #3. Timing will continue until all events on the course are completed.

  3. Walk 85’ to a fire engine and remove 2 saws, one at a time, and set them on the ground.  Pick both saws up and carry them 70’ around an obstacle, return to the engine.  Set both saws on the ground and lift them one by one safely back into the compartment.  The saws cannot be dropped.

  4.  Walk 85’ to an uncharged 1¾” hand line. Take the nozzle 150’ around an obstacle to a pre-marked area, turn facing the hose and take a knee.  Pull the hose hand over hand until the first 50’ coupling enters the marked area.  The nozzle cannot be dropped.

  5. Walk 85’ to a 24’ secured extension ladder, raise the ladder hand over hand then rest the top against the building.  Step to the left and extend a 24’ ladder hand over hand until the fly stops. Lower the fly section hand over hand to grade.  The ladders must be under control at all times.

  6. Walk 40’ to a tractor tire with rope attached.  Pull the tire (without picking it up or rolling) 50'.  Turn around.  Pull the tire 50' back to the original position.

  7. Walk 45' to the forcible entry prop.  Strike the center of the prop with the sledge hammer until the buzzer sounds, or until told to stop by the proctor when travel bar touches indicator wheel.  Return the sledge hammer to the original position.  

  8.  Walk 85’ and pick up a 50’ length of 2 ½” bundled hose.  Climb the interior tower stairs to the 3rd floor.  One hand must be available at all times to use the handrail if needed.  The hose may not be dropped during the stair climb.  Set the hose on the 3rd floor landing.

  9. Move a 150 pound rescue manikin 35’ around a cone on the 3rd floor patio.  Return the manikin to the original position for a total of 70’.

  10. Walk 85’ and enter a darkened tunnel. Crawl through a 16” opening and over an elevated 2”x4” for a total of 70’.  Be aware of a step before you turn left into the second part of the tunnel.

  11. Walk 85’ to a push/pull prop.  Pick up the pike pole and push the weighted panel up completely and return the panel to the original position five (5) times. Move to the pull section and pull a weighted hook completely down and return to the original position five (5) times.  This completes one (1) cycle.  Complete 3 cycles fully and safely, return the pike pole to the original position.

  12. Retrieve the 2 ½" bundled hose and proceed to the 5th floor.  Place the bundled hose on the 5th floor landing.

  13. Proceed to the rope extending down from the 5th floor balcony.  Using a hand over hand method (hand over hand only method allowed), raise a 50' bundle of 2 ½" hose from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor balcony.  Test proctor will appve and instruct candidate to lower hand over hand back to the 3rd floor.
  14. Return to the 2 ½" bundled hose on the 5th floor landing. Return the hose to the original position at ground level safely.  One hand must remain available for use with the handrail.

Time will stop when the bundled hose is returned to the start/finish line.

The event must be safely completed in twelve (12) minutes to obtain a passing grade.

All candidates will be given the chance to walk the course prior to the test and any questions will be answered at that time. We will not start until ALL candidates are ready to begin. There will be only one candidate on the course at a time. (To expedite time, if needed, we reserve the right to start another candidate only after the 1st has passed a certain event so there will be no chance of 2 candidate’s occupying the same area at the same time). 

Each candidate will be timed by two proctors with independent stop watches that are started at the same time.  One proctor will walk with the candidate and read a standard set of directions for each task while the other remains at the start/finish line.