I'm Mike Stefano, strength/conditioning coach and author of The Firefighter's Workout Book. I specialize in preparing men and women to become New York City firefighters. I offer private training, group classes, and workshops for firefighters and firefighter candidates. For those who need extra work with a weighted vest and stepmill, whether for the physical or medical, we now have a genuine stepmill on premises.

If you are on FDNY List #6019, the time is now! Testing is in full swing, and the city has already reached above 2000 on this list, and they're only working on the second class. Things are moving at a rapid pace!

My training principles are designed to build strength-endurance that is specific for CPAT and firefighting in general. Let me teach you how to prepare physically, how to train for this all-important test, the academy, and the job itself. But if you've only been lifting weights and jogging, you're missing the mark and not addressing the specifics of this test. Weight lifters put the bar down in under a minute, and runners never experience the load you'll be working with during CPAT.

This time around you can expect the city to race through the list to fill each class, and more likely than not, you'll see up to a 5 to 1 ratio of fail to pass. In other words, to fill 300 slots in the first class, the city must test over 1500 candidates - and that doesn't count the no-shows and disqualifications. You've got to stay ready!

TEST DESCRIPTION
The CPAT is a non-stop ten minute, sequential test with no breaks between events that simulates firefighter operations at a structural fire. For almost a third of the test, the candidates is loaded down with a 75 pound vest (fifty pounds otherwise). This represents a substantial workload that should not be taken lightly. For more specific information on test events, go to: FULL CPAT DESCRIPTION.

WHAT'S NEXT
Once you get past the brutal physical, you're not actually hired until being put through a battery of interviews and a comprehensive medical that includes another graded step mill. This time you'll be required to step just over 5 minutes while wearing a 50 pound vest - strapped to a heart rate monitor! If the candidates heart rate exceeds a predetermined limit, he or she is immediately rejected as a possible candidate. Overweight candidates aren't even allowed to test until getting down to size.

THE FIRE ACADEMY
Even after you're sworn in, the FDNY wants to know its probies are up to the task of fighting fires, and the training academy is where they intend to find out. In addition to the day-to-day exercise, life-like drills and lectures, you're expected to pass 4 physical tests on the first day!

Failure to complete a mile and a half mile run in under 12 minutes is cause for dismissal -- no questions asked! No wonder the dropout rate is nearly 20 percent and expected to double as the city has now extended training to 6 months. By far, Probie School is the toughest part of the hiring process, and probably the most difficult task you'll ever encounter, and you're not officially "hired" until graduation.

TRAINING PROGRAMS OPTIONS
After training with literally, hundreds of candidates, I've developed an on-target, task-specific program that will bring you up to the FDNY's tough physical standards. Whether individual sessions, buddy classes, or group workshops, my program cuts to the heart of what you need. Utilizing everything from kettlebell timed sets to event-specific drills, I'll get you ready for whatever the FDNY can throw at you. From CPAT to pull ups, push ups, sit ups, running, and endless calisthenics, to the legendary motivation alley, handling high pressure hose lines, climbing stairs, crawling, searching, wearing a SCBA, carrying heavy equipment, or TAKING ANY TEST... you'll be ready. My training regimens are specifically designed to make you a stronger, faster firefighting machine.