BY KAYLEIGH FREEMAN
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Whether climbing stairs, dragging hoses or navigating enclosed spaces, the Opelika Fire Department is putting aspiring firefighters to the test — physically and mentally — by hosting monthly Candidate Physical Ability Tests, an essential requirement for joining the department.
CPAT is a timed assessment used to evaluate aspiring firefighters’ physical capabilities by simulating demanding tasks they face on the job.
The test, which must be completed in 10 minutes and 20 seconds, consists of eight consecutive events: stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise and extension, forcible entry, search, rescue and ceiling breach and pull.
One of the most challenging events for participants is the stair climb, said Bob Parsons, fire inspector and public information officer at the OFD. The event requires participants to stair climb for three minutes with a 75-pound weighted vest, challenging physical strength and endurance.
“There are failure points. So say, for example, if you’re raising the ladder and skip a rung, that will immediately cut you out,” Parsons said. “You can’t just muscle your way through it. It is both a physical test and your ability to follow directions.”
The OFD began hosting CPAT training in May 2025, replacing Phenix City as the training site for the East Alabama Regional Training Association — a collection of departments from Auburn, Alexander City, LaFayette, Lanett, Opelika and Phenix City.
“It became a logical choice for our regional training center to host CPAT programming,” Parsons said. “It’s taken up until recently for us to get all the pieces together to be able to place the CPAT equipment in our training center so that we can hold it regularly.”
Led by Chief Shane Boyd, the OFD began expanding their training facility in 2021 to contain requirements of a regional training center, such as a classroom space and a burn building.
“Chief Shane Boyd, when he got here, he saw the potential for this to be really formalized, so the city supported his proposal that we become a regional training center,” Parsons said. “It was really under Boyd’s stewardship that we’ve come as far as we have with our training facility.”
Most professional, full-time departments require CPAT certification, said Parsons. Applicants to the OFD will be asked to complete the assessment in order to move forward with the interview process.
CPAT is held the third Tuesday of every month at the regional training center located at 1601 Talladega St. in Opelika,
If the CPAT participant is a prospective hire from one of the fire departments in EARTA, the assessment is free. For someone who is independently seeking CPAT certification to apply outside of EARTA’s departments, there is a $75 fee, said Parsons.
As for clothing, the department requires participants to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes and a shirt of any kind. Any equipment, such as gloves, weighted vests and helmets, are provided at the training center.
To schedule their CPAT, interested individuals can contact Lt. Lance Caldwell at tcaldwell@opelika-al.gov or B.C. Brandon Hampton at bhampton@opelika-al.gov.
