Vermont Adopts CPAT to Test Recruits

May 25, 2010 – After months of lobbying the Vermont legislature and hours of preparation, Vermont kicked off its first statewide IAFF/IAFC Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) program May 18, 2010, at the University of Vermont.

"It is nice to see the all of the hard work in the legislature and the preparation by my members pay off," says Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont (PFFV) President Matt Vinci. "We now have uniformity in the entry level testing process for professional fire fighters in Vermont."

The Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont lobbied the Vermont legislature and Governor Jim Douglas to include the necessary resources in the Fiscal Year 2009 Capital Construction Budget. Working closely with the leadership of the Vermont Career Fire Chiefs and John Wood, director of fire safety, Vermont has now formally adopted the CPAT as its entry-level program for attracting and testing professional fire fighter recruits.