If you've always fancied yourself as a firefighter, it may be a good idea to start training now for next year's fire season. This is what it takes.

The following are the fitness requirements for members of Cape Town's Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS):

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Level 1 fitness
To qualify for active service as a volunteer wildfire fighter, you need to be able to complete a brisk hike, carrying 4 litres of water and a rake-hoe*, within 30 minutes.

Level 2 fitness
- 2.7 km run in 18 minutes
- 25 sit-ups in 45 secs
- 25 push-ups in 45 secs
- 2.4 km hike in 25 minutes with 5 litres of water and a rake-hoe
- 25 sit-ups in 45 secs
- 25 push-ups in 45 secs
- Generator carry 100 m in 45 secs
- Cargo net climb in 45 secs

This level of fitness is required if you want to qualify for the “Strike Attack” team i.e. “to be put into potentially hostile terrain and conditions to suppress wildfires”. In addition, you need to complete 75 fire hours and the Mountain Survival Evaluation.

Mountain Survival Evaluation
The 18-hour Mountain Survival Evaluation is to designed so that volunteers can “test their skills to the ultimate level within the VWS system”.

18h00: Depart from a designated point somewhere in Cape Town and make your way up to Woodhead Dam on Table Mountain by 22h00. Carry all your own equipment, food, water and dry clothing, plus a wooden cross weighing about 6kg. Radio your position every 30 minutes, and plot it on a map.

22h00: Pump water from dam 50m up to a portapool. From there pump it up a further 50m to a container in the bushes. Pack up all equipment used.

First aid: Assess a casualty. Select a safe landing zone for a helicopter to land and collect the casualty. Radio info through.

Set up an anchor point on the dam wall, make an emergency harness, and abseil to the bottom (40m), taking the cross with you. Once at the bottom, Prussik back up the wall. Once back on top, demonstrate tying all 12 of the required knots.

05h00: Drop backpack and enter Woodhead Dam fully clothed with boots, submerging yourself completely.

Exit dam.

Place a clear, tight-fitting plastic bag over your head and hold breath for 90 seconds.

Complete a "mind-boggling" puzzle/ task using objects/words/numbers.

Build a 3m tower from materials provided. Tower must stand for 10 seconds.

Change into dry clothes. All teams join and together pump water from the dam to a portapool, and then up to the container in the bushes. Carry out a First Aid scenario session, and build a 4m free-standing tower.

7h00: Complete a questionnaire regarding the evaluation process. Rest, eat, go home.

*An implement similar to a rake, for pulling unburnt vegetation away from the fire and pushing burning bits back in.

- (Health24, October 2007)

Sources:
Rob Erasmus, VWS General Manager. Pers.Comm. 2007.
Vounteer Wildfire Services Training Manual. May 2007

For more information on the VWS: www.capefires.com
 

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