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Event #6

Equipment

This event uses an enclosed search maze that has obstacles and narrowed spaces.

Purpose of Evaluation

This event is designed to simulate the critical task of searching for a fire victim with limited visibility in an unpredictable area. This event challenges your aerobic capacity, upper body muscular strength and endurance, agility, balance, anaerobic endurance, and kinesthetic awareness.

This event affects your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems as well as the following muscle groups: muscles of the chest, shoulder, triceps, quadriceps, abdominals, and lower back.

Event

For this event, you must crawl through a tunnel maze that is approximately 3 feet (91.44 cm) high, 4 feet (121.92 cm) wide and 64 feet (19.51 m) in length with two 90° turns. At a number of locations in the tunnel, you must navigate around, over and under obstacles. In addition, at two locations, you must crawl through a narrowed space where the dimensions of the tunnel are reduced.

Your movement is monitored through the maze. If for any reason, you choose to end the event, call out or rap sharply on the wall or ceiling and you will be assisted out of the maze. Upon exit from the maze, the event is concluded. Walk 85 feet (25.91 m) within the established walkway to the next event.

Warnings and Failures

A request for assistance that requires the opening of the escape hatch or opening of the entrance/exit covers constitutes a failure, the test time is concluded and you fail the test.

Physical Preparation

Practice crawling on hands and knees (wearing sweat pants and/or kneepads) at least 70 feet while making several right angle turns during the crawl. For the major portion of the crawl keep low enough so as not to contact an object three feet above the ground. Periodically, drop your stomach and crawl ten feet along the ground. Once you are comfortable crawling as above repeat the sequence with a knapsack on. Gradually increase the weight within the knapsack until it equals 50 pounds.