The details below come from Red Deer Polytechnic's page and the departments' own pages, checked 4 October 2026.
What the test involves
Seven timed stations, and you must pass all of them:
- Cardiovascular fitness, on a treadmill, in running shoes; the vest goes on after it
- Equipment carry
- Hose drag
- Weighted sled pull
- Forcible entry
- Victim rescue
- Ladder climb
The 45 lb weighted vest is worn for the six stations after the treadmill. Red Deer Polytechnic lists the cost as $380 and the time as about 3.5 hours, at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. You get a copy of your results, and they go to the department you name.
Red Deer Polytechnic, Firefighter Applicant Physical Aptitude Test, checked 4 October 2026
Departments that accept it
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Red Deer Emergency Services
Red Deer recognizes the Red Deer Polytechnic test and the U of A test, and candidates choose either testing site.
City of Red Deer, Firemedic Requirements, checked 4 October 2026
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Airdrie Fire Department
Airdrie accepts the U of A test, the Red Deer Polytechnic test or the CPAT, and adds a treadmill test at the medical stage. Results count for 12 months.
City of Airdrie, Firefighter Recruitment, checked 4 October 2026
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Spruce Grove Fire Services
The City's page names the U of A test. Red Deer Polytechnic also lists Spruce Grove as accepting its test.
City of Spruce Grove, Firefighter Recruitment, checked 4 October 2026
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Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Regional Emergency Services
Wood Buffalo asks for the U of A test and ranks candidates on the scores. Red Deer Polytechnic also lists Wood Buffalo as accepting its test. A U of A pass from the last six months.
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Firefighter and Paramedic Recruitment, checked 4 October 2026
How it relates to the University of Alberta Physical Fitness Test
Red Deer Polytechnic says its test was derived from the University of Alberta's firefighter testing materials and adapted independently with Red Deer Emergency Services. It describes the two as separate tests, with significant differences in protocol and cut scores.
The station types overlap: both test carrying, hose work, a sled pull, forcible entry, a victim rescue and a ladder climb, plus aerobic capacity. The loads, distances and time limits are each provider's own. Red Deer lets you choose either testing site.
How to prepare
Train for the test you will book. If you are testing at Red Deer Polytechnic, get its standards from its information package and practise to those.