Today I had an enlightening conversation with Craig MacCalman, Coordinator, Paramedic Program, Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness at Humber College.
I asked Craig "If I wanted to be a Paramedic, how fit would I need to be?". Craig told me that in his program they prepare students to pass the Ottawa Paramedic Physical Abilities Test (OPPAT).
The OPPAT, a custom Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) for paramedics, was developed by Drs. Fischer, MacPhee & Sinden. It is a bona fide occupational test that emphasizes the tasks associated with being a front-line paramedic, including:
- lifting/lowering of a stretcher (with and without a weighted mannequin);
- performing CPR;
- walking a short distance while carrying a backboard with a weighted mannequin in place; and,
- loading/unloading of the stretcher from an ambulance (with and without a weighted mannequin).
Craig, who has 17 years of experience as a Paramedic, emphasized that it is a physically demanding job. The OPPAT is effectively used as part of the pre-hire and return-to-work process for Paramedics, assessing their functional capacity to handle the demands of the job.
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