title: Employment Standards for Australian Urban Firefighters: Part 4: Physical Aptitude Tests and Standards.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Firefighter physical aptitude tests were administered to unskilled subjects and operational firefighters to evaluate the impact that testing bias associated with gender, age, activity-specific skills, or task familiarity may have upon establishing performance thresholds.
  
  
  METHODS
  These tests were administered in sequence, simulating hazmat incidents, ventilation fan carriage (stairs), motor-vehicle rescues, bushfire incidents, fire attacks, and a firefighter rescue. Participants included two unskilled samples (N = 14 and 22) and 143 firefighters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Firefighter performance was not significantly different from the unskilled subjects. Participants from both genders passed the test, with scores unrelated to performance skill or age; however, familiarization significantly improved performance when the test was repeated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These outcomes confirmed this test to be gender-, age-, and skill-neutral. Familiarization effects could be removed through performing a single, pre-selection trial of the test battery.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Human and Applied Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia (Mr Fullagar, Dr Sampson, Dr Burdon, Dr Taylor, and Dr Groeller); and Fire & Rescue New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Mr Mott).
authors.forename: Hugh H K
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Fullagar
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Mott
authors.forename: Catriona A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Burdon
authors.forename: Nigel A S
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Groeller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult