Basic Operations Firefighter Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be admitted to the Basic Operations Firefighter Certificate program. Candidates being registered from a fire department will only need to validate that they are affiliated with the department registering them and rostered with the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT)

A valid CPAT card is required at the time of enrollment
Note: “Valid” includes CPAT cards that have expired within three years of enrollment in the BOF program.
You may earn your CPAT card through a number of organizations. The following are options for you to consider:

NIPSTA Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy
Village of Romeoville
Naperville Fire Department

CPR certification

Harper College Community Education offers CPR courses for your conveninece. You may also choose another approved provider.

NFPA 1582 Physical-Medical Clearance Checklist

Please download and ask your medical professional to complete this checklist. (Coming soon.) It is used to determine whether a college firefighter training candidate is medically capable of safely participating in a physically demanding training environment, including vigorous physical activity and respirator use. This evaluation:

Is not a pre-employment physical
Is not an employment fitness-for-duty determination
Is informed by NFPA 1582, adapted for a college-based training program

SCBA Respirator Medical Clearance

Please download and ask your medical professional to complete this checklist. (Coming soon.)

For additional information about Harper's Fire Science Technology program, please contact the Admissions Outreach Office at 847.925.6700.