Can you pass the FDNY fitness test to become a NYC firefighter?

Think you have what it takes to be one of “New York’s Bravest”? You better be ready to sweat.

Before you even dream of entering the FDNY Fire Cadet Academy, you must prove that you have the strength, stamina and courage to pass the candidate’s physical ability test.

This brutal series of eight tasks is designed to mimic the actual demands of a fire scene, all while you’re weighed down with 50 kilograms of equipment – and you have just 10 minutes and 20 seconds to complete it.

Climbing the stairs

First up: climbing the stairs.Â

For this event, you will step on two 12.5 kilogram weights on your shoulders, simulating the weight of a pack of socks as you climb stairs at a speed of 60 steps per minute for three full minutes.

You get a 20-second warm-up to find your balance, but if you grab the wall or railing for too long, you’re disqualified. To fall or to land three times? You are out of the race.

Bowel prolapse

For this task, you’ll grab a pipe nozzle attached to a 200-foot hose, lift it over your shoulder or chest, and drag it 75 feet to a drum. Make a 90-degree turn, pull another 25 feet, then drop to one knee and drag the hose across the finish line.Â

You only get a warning not to take that knee. If you raise it again, you are automatically disqualified.Â

Pulling tool

If you’re still hanging in there, it’s time to prove you can pull tools from the fire truck.

You’ll open a storage cabinet, grab two chainsaws, and carry them 75 feet around a barrel. Then go back to the cabinet, put the saws down, pick them up one by one and put them back in their designated places.

If a saw falls on you at any point, you are automatically disqualified. You get a run warning.Â

Climbing the stairs

For this event, you will approach a 24-foot ladder lying on the ground. Starting at the top rung, lift up in a hand-to-hand fashion using each rung until the ladder rests stationary on the wall.

Then, standing inside a marked box, you will extend the flight of the ladder by pulling the rope in a hand-to-hand fashion until it is fully extended. Lower the flight section in a controlled manner, then return the ladder to its original position.

You only get a warning for missing a step or going outside the box.Â

Forced entry

After that comes forcible entry, where you’ll test your ability to break through a locked door or wall to save someone.

Using a 10-pound sledgehammer, you’ll hit a target until it pops—all while keeping your feet outside a marked box. Lose control of the hammer or go inside the box? This is an automatic fail.

Tunnel maze

The next event is not for the claustrophobic. It stimulates the critical task of searching for a fire victim with limited visibility in an unpredictable area.

You will crawl through a 64-foot tunnel maze, only 3 feet high and 4 feet wide, with many turns and obstacles. At two points, the space narrows, forcing you to squeeze and crawl into tight spaces.

Pull a victim to safety

Once you’ve found your “fire victim,” it’s time to show that you can get him to safety.

Grab a 165-pound mannequin, pull yourself 35 feet to a drum, make a sharp turn, and then pull yourself another 35 feet to the finish line. You are not allowed to rest on the drum and only get a warning if you do. You can drop the mannequin to adjust the grip, but do it quickly.

Eventually, you’ll hit a ceiling. Using a point pole, you’ll push up a 60-pound door three times, then attach the pole to an 80-pound ceiling fixture and pull it down five times. You’ll repeat this set four times, proving you have the stamina to finish strong.