15 Hours Firefighter Fitness VA - Scope and Pricing Breakdown

Fifteen hours per week is the tier where a firefighter fitness VA stops being a task assistant and starts running defined operational workflows. At this level your VA owns shift-based scheduling, candidate physical ability test (PAT) prep tracking, outreach to departments, and consistent social media - without you touching the admin side of any of it.

If you coach active firefighters, run PAT prep programs, or sell fitness training to fire departments and academies, 15 hours covers the communication, tracking, and content systems that keep the operation running between your coaching sessions.

What Gets Done in 15 Hours

Fifteen hours builds directly on the 10-hour scope and adds meaningful operational depth across five core areas.

• Shift-aware scheduling (2.5 hrs/week) - Managing client calendars around rotating A/B/C shift patterns. Booking sessions that account for 24-on/48-off cycles, overtime blocks, and mandatory training days. Sending automated reminders 24 hours before each session and rescheduling clients who miss due to emergency calls.
• PAT and CPAT prep tracking (2.5 hrs/week) - Logging weekly benchmark scores for candidates in prep: ladder climb, hose drag, equipment carry, rescue simulation, and stair climb. Maintaining individual progress timelines and flagging candidates who are falling behind on one or more events. Building comparison reports showing month-over-month improvement.
• Email and inbox management (2 hrs/week) - Full inbox coverage for department inquiries, candidate questions, program enrollment, and payment confirmations. Drafting standard replies for common questions about PAT standards, program structure, and pricing.
• Department and academy outreach (2 hrs/week) - Researching local and regional fire departments, academies, and cadet programs. Sending introduction emails, following up on previous contacts, and tracking outreach in a simple CRM or spreadsheet. Booking calls for you to close.
• Social media management (3 hrs/week) - Scheduling 4-5 posts per week across Instagram and Facebook. Content includes candidate success stories, training video clips you provide, PAT tips, and department partnership announcements. Managing comments and DMs.
• Lead intake and follow-up (1.5 hrs/week) - Processing new inquiries from your website or social media, sending program information packets, following up with leads who have not responded within 48 hours, and tracking them through a simple pipeline.
• Weekly reporting (1 hr/week) - A short Monday report covering new leads, active candidate count, benchmark scores from the prior week, social metrics, and any outstanding client issues.

Sample Weekly Schedule

Three-hour daily blocks keep every workflow current without letting any single area fall behind.

What Gets Cut

Fifteen hours covers the core operational layer but leaves several functions off the table.

• Video production - Editing training footage, producing testimonial videos, or building YouTube content requires dedicated production time beyond this scope.
• Paid advertising - Running Facebook or Google ads to fire departments or PAT candidates needs a specialist or additional hours.
• Merchandise operations - Managing branded gear, fulfillment, and customer service for a product line does not fit at this tier.
• Grant and sponsorship research - Identifying department wellness grants or sponsorship opportunities for training programs is a research-heavy task that needs more time.
• Curriculum development - Writing or updating your PAT prep program content, training plans, or candidate handbooks stays on your plate.

When to Upgrade

Move to the 20-hour scope when:

• Your candidate roster grows past 20 active PAT preppers and tracking becomes a bottleneck.
• You want department outreach done at higher volume with dedicated follow-up sequences.
• You are ready to launch email marketing campaigns to your lead list.
• Social media DMs are taking more than 30 minutes of your VA's time per day.
• You add a second platform like YouTube or TikTok for training content.

HBR research shows CEOs spend 72% of work time in meetings - admin work at every tier has real cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a VA handle shift scheduling without knowing a client's specific department schedule?

You give your VA a master schedule template for each shift pattern in your area (24/48, 48/96, Kelly schedule). Clients self-report their current rotation during onboarding. Your VA references the template to build a recurring booking pattern and flags any conflicts. When a client misses due to an emergency call, the VA reschedules within the same week where possible.

Can a 15-hour VA manage PAT tracking for 20+ candidates?

It depends on how complex your tracking system is. At 2.5 hours per week with a clean spreadsheet or simple dashboard, your VA can log and report on 15-20 candidates without issues. Beyond 20, tracking starts crowding out other tasks. Either upgrade to 20 hours or streamline your data entry process before adding more candidates.

What is the best way to use the department outreach hours?

Focus outreach on academies and cadet programs first - they have structured intake cycles and a recurring need for PAT prep coaching. Active department wellness contacts are valuable but slower to convert. Your VA should maintain a rolling 30-contact outreach pipeline, moving through it in consistent weekly increments rather than blasting contacts irregularly.

Should my VA respond to social media comments from firefighters about training?

Yes, for general questions and encouragement. Your VA should use a pre-approved response library for common questions about your program. Anything involving specific medical limitations, injury history, or individualized training advice gets flagged for you to answer personally. Set that boundary clearly in your SOPs before day one.