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 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.
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 off I-595) and Plantation at 10199 Cleary Boulevard, Suite 10 — serving 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.