The
FHS&C Treadmill Test
What this test measures
The FHS&C Treadmill Test is a progressive, loaded treadmill protocol for tracking performance under consistent conditions. Record how long you complete the prescribed speed, vest load, and incline stages.
A calculator estimate is not a direct measurement of VO₂max. The studies listed below evaluate other protocols; they do not establish the accuracy, safety, or occupational validity of this specific FHS&C protocol or its load adjustment.
Equipment
Treadmill with adjustable incline
20 lb weight vest
Timer or treadmill time display
Published protocol
Maintain 4.3 mph and wear a 20 lb vest. Follow the stages below.
0–10 minutes: 0% incline
10–15 minutes: 3% incline
15–20 minutes: 6% incline
20–25 minutes: 9% incline
25–30 minutes: 12% incline
The published test reaches its 30-minute endpoint after the 12% stage. If you stop earlier, record your total time and the highest incline stage fully completed.
The original extended version calls for an incline increase every five minutes after 30 minutes. The size of those later increases is not specified here; obtain the current written protocol from FHS&C before using or comparing extended results.
Record the result
Record treadmill model, body weight, vest weight, elapsed time, highest fully completed stage, and reason for stopping. Use the same setup for repeat testing.
The existing FHS&C calculator accepts body weight, vest weight, and incline. Its VO₂ and MET outputs should be treated as estimates pending a documented review of the equation, load adjustment, and applicable speed range. Do not use them as medical clearance or a stand-alone fitness-for-duty decision.
Testing to exhaustion can be strenuous. Follow applicable medical guidance, supervision requirements, and treadmill safety instructions. This page does not establish that loaded testing is safer than other tests.
Evidence and limitations
Treadmill protocols, prediction equations, and direct gas-analysis measurements answer different questions. Results depend on the protocol and population used to develop and validate an equation.
WFI treadmill prediction
Dolezal and colleagues (2015) compared predicted and directly measured VO₂max in 59 men. Individual prediction errors were substantial: 36% had errors of at least 15%. This finding concerns the studied WFI protocol and does not validate FHS&C's test.
Gerkin treadmill prediction
Mier and Gibson (2004) studied 54 healthy adults. The Gerkin protocol overestimated VO₂max in 50 participants. Their findings caution against using that prediction for individual duty decisions; they do not establish a superior alternative in the FHS&C protocol.
What has not been established here
No direct comparison supporting superior accuracy or lower risk for the FHS&C test is presented on this page. A loaded treadmill result is not a complete simulation of firefighting and does not by itself establish operational readiness, injury prevention, or medical fitness for duty.
References
Dolezal BA, Barr D, Boland DM, Smith DL, Cooper CB. Validation of the firefighter WFI treadmill protocol for predicting VO₂ max. Occupational Medicine. 2015;65(2):143–146. DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqu189. Read the study abstract.
Mier CM, Gibson AL. Evaluation of a treadmill test for predicting the aerobic capacity of firefighters. Occupational Medicine. 2004;54(6):373–378. DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqh008. Read the study abstract.
Prepared by Eric Haskins, B.S., CSCS, TSAC-F. Evidence and wording reviewed October 4, 2026. This update corrects the previous citation pairings and removes unsupported superiority claims; it is not a new validation study.