Fire academy entry, department hiring and annual fitness evaluations all rest on a medical exam. UrgentMed performs the Florida State Fire Marshal’s medical examination (Form DFS-K4-1022) required for firefighter training under Rule 69A-37.037, and NFPA 1582 candidate and annual physicals for departments — with the EKG, spirometry, chest X-ray and blood work on site.
Fire academy entrance exam — Form DFS-K4-1022
Before starting a Firefighter I/II or minimum-standards course at a Florida fire college, applicants submit the Bureau of Fire Standards and Training medical form completed by a licensed physician. Bring the form from your academy; the history, examination, vision, hearing and the tests the form lists are completed and signed at the visit.
NFPA 1582 firefighter physicals — candidate and yearly department evaluations
Departments that follow NFPA 1582 — most in Broward County — require a candidate medical evaluation before hire and an annual evaluation afterward. The evaluation is built around the essential job tasks of a firefighter and typically includes:
- Medical history and a full examination, including vision, hearing and blood pressure.
- 12-lead EKG, and cardiac risk assessment appropriate to age.
- Spirometry (lung function) and a chest X-ray when the department’s schedule calls for one.
- Laboratory panel — CBC, metabolic panel, lipids, urinalysis — drawn on site.
- Immunization review and TB testing, with vaccines given at the visit.
- The department’s form or a medical clearance letter completed and sent to the fire department’s designated contact.
Physical ability testing (CPAT) is separate from the medical evaluation and is run by the academy or department; the medical clearance is what allows you to take it.
Firefighter physicals for volunteer, wildland and EMS crossover
Volunteer departments, wildland crews and EMT/paramedic programs use their own forms and the same on-site testing. Fire-rescue departments that add a respirator fit test or a drug screen to onboarding can have both done in the same visit.
What to bring
- Bring the form printed, with your sections completed, and a photo ID; the provider completes and signs the medical sections at the visit.
- Glasses or contacts, a list of medications, and any cardiology or specialist letters the form asks for.
- Your department or academy contact for delivery of the completed form.
Walk in at either Broward clinic
Both clinics are open seven days a week — Davie at 5149 S University Drive (Renaissance Plaza, just south of Griffin Road) and Plantation at 10199 Cleary Boulevard, Suite 10. Both serve Davie, Plantation, Cooper City, Weston, Sunrise, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines and the surrounding Broward County communities. Hours, maps and parking.
Insurance and self-pay
Most licensing and program physicals are self-pay and the price is quoted at the front desk before you are seen; employer-ordered exams are billed to the employer account. Bring a photo ID and the form.
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Sources: NFPA 1582 — Comprehensive occupational medical program for fire departments