Lift Test

[fanbuffett]

I think the smaller you are the more you have to work out and be in good physical shape to be able to lift you share of the load. i work out regularly and try to stay in shape and keep my back and legs strong because this country is only getting bigger.

[JakeEMTP]

As for the company in Saginaw, they have a very interesting lift test.. you are given weights up to 180lbs,and you lift them across the room to a box... When you get the box full, you have to lift the box over your head, with good lifting technique. I just don't' see a time or place where someone should be lifting 180 lbs over their head.. maybe that's being shortsighted..

PP

WTF? Having to lift 180 lbs over ones head isn't smart at all. EMS isn't a Olympic sport. We shouldn't have to prove how strong we are in that fashion. Lifting smart is a better way to check. I would think if you can get it chest high, that should be sufficient.

Besides, if I have to lift something that high, I'll get a hose jockey to do it, they're standing around doing nothing any way :wink:

SPELL CHECKED, no errors reported 8)

[retired_medic61]

I wish like he-double hockeysticks that my service had a lift requirement!!! There is a medic that works with me who can barely lift herself! She never takes the head, and can't even put the stupid stretcher into LOAD! I usually get the privilige of working with her.

Is she a new medic? Many times people especially females have not developed their upper body strength. I could not lift worth a flip when I started; however, as time passed my lifting improved and there were really no complaints about my lifting. Make sure she is lifting properly so she can avoid a back injury.

[mamamo899]

Ah lifting....I remember the old Ferno's they were great workouts! It was usually myself and my partner with me being the taller, 5'3". Although both females, there were pretty much not many people who we couldnt lift out of anywhere. The company I used to work for also had a Reeves test up and down stairs several times as at that time we had a contract with an urban fire department (FF/Medics), we did the transporting.

Would love to have the new push button stretchers, after being an FTO w/all the newbies, have had my fair share of back injuries!!

Does anyone have the new Stryker stair chairs w/what I call the "tank tracks"? These are wonderful!! UP, down, sideways...just doesn't matter!!

[paramedicmike]

We've got the Stryker stair chairs with the tank treads. Can I just say that this device is one of the greatest inventions ever? I won't go back to using the old ones. Fortunately, all the places I work have the new ones so I've got that covered.

My current FT employer doesn't do much by way of keeping their employees happy...but they did an awful lot by listening to us and agreeing to buy this chair.

-be safe.

[Relish]

You're lucky out here(calgary) our stretchers are loaded a lot more than that. They put you with a partner and with a very heavy dummy have you go up and down 2 flights of stairs, going backwards one way and face forward the other. Best of Luck 8)

As a vertically challenged (5'3'', 115lbs) female, how much should I be concerned with the standard Calgary stair test? I work in the hospital and do nothing but run the unit for 8 hours, so I'm not out of shape. I also lift and transfer patients daily, but as for a regular gym routine, I have none! Should I be concerned about passing the stair test in my condition, should i be looking at "bulking up"? Thoughts? Thanks!

[Asysin2leads]

Lord help us, some of our stretchers are still two man. A few calls with the two man, and you can skip your work out for the evening. They are awfully good for getting someone off the ground though. They go down very low, and its then only one step from being in a squatting position to getting them in the ambulance. Then again, I need a permit for these GUNS of mine, so its like no problem. :wink:

[chevy]

I'm currently in PCP school (ont). To pass into the second year we have to demonstrate the following:

2 man crew - lift 180 lb pt into a stretcher from the floor and into/out of ambulance, and up/down stairs in a stair chair. You must be able to do this at both foot/head positions.

Also, you MUST pass the fitness test. Cardio step test, Flexibility Test and Weight lift.

The weight lift has 4 parts: dead lift, bench press, and 2 variants of a row-style lift (forget the names but basically hands together/part).

To get max. points you must lift 440 lbs combined, with min's in each (155 dead and I think 55 lbs for the others. Note that lifting all the min's only will not get you a pass).

In our neck-of-the-woods, 2-person crew max lift weight is 300 lbs, but I am told that the weight normally gets to 400 or so before people call for lift assist. (Assuming straight forward conditions. i.e not out a window and down a fire-escape!)

Many of females in my class are working hard on the weight part, but are killing the big farm boys in cardio and flex, so we all have are challenges.

..chevy

[iMac]

The lift test is easy. If I can do it (I'm petite in size) anyone can do it. The one we have here includes you being with a partner and a 125lbs dummy on a scoop stretcher. You have to walk backwards with a partner up 2 flights of stairs without putting the dummy down. You then get a break at the top of the stairs if you want one then you go back down that 2 flights of stairs facing forward this time.

Don't sweat it. It sounds worse than it is mate.

Good luck.

[Toxic]

Holy cannoli I can't REMEMBER the last time I had a 125lb patient on my scoop stretcher! come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I had a 125lb patient at all! Apparently the patients around here didn't get that memo.

Tox