One Standard. Set by the Job.
The fireground doesn't care how old you are, your sex, or how long you've been training. The demands of the job are fixed, so the job tasks are fixed too. One line for everyone on the job tasks, set by what the work actually requires.
Strength, power and the 400-meter run list separate numbers for men and women. The rescue drag, the carry, the 12-minute run and the side plank use one line for everyone.
Below Standard — BASE
You aren't ready for the job on this quality yet. That's not a knock. It's a starting point, and the first thing your training fixes.
Standard: Job Ready — ASCENT
Rested and in good conditions, you can meet what the fireground asks of you on this quality.
Operational Reserve — SUMMIT
Past the minimum. That extra room is the buffer that keeps you working when the heat, the gear, and the fatigue try to take the standard away.
BASE, ASCENT and SUMMIT are the three training levels inside the one membership. Your intake places you in the right one.
| # | Event | Job Ready | Operational Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vertical Jump | M 16 in / W 11 in | M 20+ in / W 14+ in |
| 2 | High-Handle Trap-Bar 3RM | M 1.50× BW / W 1.25× BW5RM option: M 1.40× / W 1.15× | M 1.75× BW / W 1.50× BW5RM option: M 1.65× / W 1.40× |
| 3 | Bench Press 3RM | M 1.00× BW / W 0.65× BW5RM option: M 0.95× / W 0.60× | M 1.25× BW / W 0.85× BW5RM option: M 1.15× / W 0.80× |
| 4 | Strict Pull-Ups | M 6–9 reps / W 3–5 reps | M 10+ reps / W 6+ reps |
| 5 | Side Plank (per side) | 60 secondsWeaker side sets the band | 90+ seconds |
| 6 | Sled Rescue Drag (70 ft)Sled weight included | 250 lb in 30 sec or less | 300 lb in 30 sec or lessSame loads for everyone |
| 7 | Two-Implement Carry (45 lb/hand) | 100 feet | 150 feetKeep going: 300+ ft is High Reserve |
| 8 | 400-Meter Run | M 90 sec or faster / W 105 sec or faster | M 75 sec or faster / W 85 sec or faster |
| 9 | 12-Minute Cooper Run | 1.50–1.64 miles | 1.65+ miles |
*These operational standards were developed by integrating current firefighter research, TSAC and NSCA best practices, occupational performance demands, and real-world fire service experience to establish evidence-based benchmarks for operational readiness.
This assessment is not a hiring examination, medical evaluation, departmental certification, or guarantee of safe fireground performance. It's a coaching and performance-development tool, use it event by event: your lowest-performing quality is where the next training block should focus, and reassessing under the same conditions is how you track real progress.