Hi! I’m a female in my 30s, 140lbs, attempting to get into my local fire department in south GA. I’ve taken the practice PAT twice; the first time I simply could not drag the hose once I got it over my shoulder. The second time I made it all the way to the dummy drag and was gassed, which sucked because it was the final event. I also went over the cutoff time of 9 minutes and 30 seconds by two minutes. I go to the gym 3-4x a week and mostly do back squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, seated rows and as well as bicep and tricep workouts. I also do cardio.
The next and final practice is in a week, and if I pass then I won’t have to take it again during the interview process. I’m looking for tips and advice to improve my time and strength. I have a wagon I can load my two kids in for a total of 140/150 lbs. I can also wear a weighted vest on the stair master if that helps. Getting on one knee and pulling the hose on gravel and concrete really slowed me down. I just want to do well.
If it helps, these are the events:
Stair climb 5 flights with no high pack, 5 flights with high rise pack.
Ladder raise and extension.
Equipment carry.
Hose Drag.
Forcible entry.
Dummer drag.
Sorry if the format is off, I’m on mobile. Thanks in advance!