2 Questions Re: Mandatory Fitness Standards

[krj]

I've got two questions re: MANDATORY fitness standards (hence the title of the thread! ), that I'm hoping you guys can help me with:

1. Do any of your departments currently have mandatory fitness standards (not just for new hires, but also incumbant officers)? (Or do you know of any departments that have these?).

2. Unions appear to be one of the main barriers to establishing these programs. Can anyone give insight into what their main concerns are - and why they are so opposed to them?

Thanks everyone!

[PhilipCal]

Fitness standards

In addition to a required physical agility test as part of the hiring process,my agency is in the process of establishing an annual fitness test. All the requirements have not been finalized,but a number of pushups/pullups/chinups will be required.Additionally,a walk/run over a prescribed distance with a time limit is on the board.Currently,work load permitting,a trooper can take 1.5 hrs twice a week,on state time for P/T training.

[Deniz]

Re: Fitness standards

Originally posted by PhilipCal
... annual fitness test.... a number of pushups/pullups/chinups ... a walk/run over a prescribed distance with a time limit ... 1.5 hrs twice a week,on state time for P/T training.

That'll see half the service decomissioned in NSW

[Gooch]

Chicago Police have just initiated a fitness incentive that pays out $250 to any officer that can pass the the state POWER test (Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Report). It's the same fitness test they give you in the academy. There are over 13,000 policemen in the city but only 2300 or so took the test-about 200 failed. The test is purely voluntary.

[Bodie]

1: YES
2: Many old cops can't meet the standards and many simply won't

There must be some sort of standard since officer survival depends on how fit you are to win the fight that just might cost you your life.
Or you could die of a herat attack after a foot chase which in the after life might be bit embarrassing.

[AUXOFC74]

I was gonna rant but i cooled off. I feel the fitness standards are a crock , they put them in place in Ohio 2 yrs ago, For some people with mild asthma they prevent very very very good men from passing the Academy. Im of the opinion that if the only thing keeping you from graduating the academy is the nonsense fitness standard, and you are within reason, do whatever it takes to pass. I know fitness is important but they should not gauge ones future on a 1.5 mile timed run, 33 push ups and 40 sit ups. Its just not practical.

[SinePari]

I read in the CHP pay scale, there was a monthly physical fitness pay, for those who maintained a certain requirement.

I think average people won't adhere to fitness standards if there's no monetary reward.

[NCHawk56]

To me it is not practical to expect officer to exercise on their own, because many don't, or if they do it is not enough. PT should be a group activity one that the entire squad does together. Police officer work as a team, they train together, physically training together just makes sense. Now getting a department to put PT into the schedule is hard to imagine, but's it's still possible, and it could save them a lot of money, healthy officers get injured less often, recover faster, and can work harder. Plus fit officers just look better, which is great for PR.
I'm not saying officers should be out their killing themselves while physically training, but some cardio, streching and strength training could help us all.

Stay Safe!!!

NCHawk56

[jdgeroy]

Any officer hired onto our agency after 1999 has to pass an annual physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB consists of:

flexibility test- measured according to age, gender and height.

Bench press- must be a percentage over your own body weight.

Agility Run- again, scored according to age and gender.

1.5 Mile Walk/Run-scored by age and gender

and the Fat Test- the old inaccurate getting pinched by the calipers.

One of the things that they didn't consider and has bit them in the ***, is what to do with officers that were injured on duty and cannot complete the PEB.

Complaints from the officers consist of the fact that the PEB has nothing to do with what we do on the job. The agency is looking into a more realistic PEB. In the future we will be doing things like; pushing a car (I kid you not, they are considering it), a dummy drag, carrying a certain amount of weight over a predetermined distance and some sort of sprint. I will be much more enthusiastic when they adopt the new criteria.

Most of our officers do well on these tests. A few of or best cops do very well. Then there is the contigency of geeks who live to do well on the PEB and judge the rest of us by our scores. These are the ones who have no business being in law enforcement. Some have teased me about my score (which isn't bad, but not great either), but they turn me down when I offer to show them my way of judging physical fitness. I offer to take them into a room and give them five minutes to try to get around me to the door.

[jnhdrac]

I agree officers should work out regularly. The problem I have is when the department makes it a condition of employment but does not compensate the officers for their time. Rightly or wrongly, most of us are hourly employees who are to be paid when performing our duties, and if working out is a job requirement, then the department needs to pay officers for their time. I agree that officers should work out regardless of if it is on the clock or off duty, I just object to being forced to do it, and not being paid.

An even bigger concern I have is when the PT standards do not apply to everyone. In my department, Captains and above are exempt, even though they (occasionally) still make arrests and (always) carry guns.

[NCHawk56]

PFT

Originally posted by jdgeroy

Complaints from the officers consist of the fact that the PEB has nothing to do with what we do on the job. The agency is looking into a more realistic PEB. In the future we will be doing things like; pushing a car (I kid you not, they are considering it), a dummy drag, carrying a certain amount of weight over a predetermined distance and some sort of sprint. I will be much more enthusiastic when they adopt the new criteria.

I don't see why you would want these test. A physical fitness test is just that, your overall physical fitness for duty. The standard military PFT is well structured, easy to administer and test overall endurance and strength. Replacing it with a bunch of modified events seems like an attempt to make it easier, because why would anyone want to change it if the current test is easy?
How do you prepare for a dummy drag or a car push event, it wouldn't be practical to have officers out there trying to push their car down the street or dragging their partner up and down the block, I imagine they would do some running, lifting and maybe some situps.

Stay Safe!!!

NCHawk56

[TommyF]

C.P.D. $250.00 not bad but... In my department we are not required to take the fitness test but it is offered once a year usually in November. If you take the test and pass you get $400.00! Just in time for the holidays. Not to bad. Of course it is voluntary.

[rebbryan]

I wish the departments around here would do that, could always use extra money. I'm still young enough to where I find physical fitness fun. All that ranger competition stuff they do with the obstacle courses and stuff looks like fun. I like being in shape, don't need a monetary award.

[jdgeroy]

Re: PFT

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NCHawk56
[B
How do you prepare for a dummy drag or a car push event, it wouldn't be practical to have officers out there trying to push their car down the street or dragging their partner up and down the block, I imagine they would do some running, lifting and maybe some situps.

I agree. I have no good idea in what they are thinking. I believe they are trying to make the test more applicable to what we do. They also want to make it mandatory for all of us, not just the ones who come on after 1999.

The PEB as it stands is not a good test for core fitness, it is too subjective. I am sure the military tests would be very applicable, but try convincing the big wigs of that.

I do think it would be fun to watch though.

[retdetsgt]

My dept. never had a ongoing fitness test. I always worked out because I didn't want my heart to explode sometime when I was wrestling an 18 yr old weight lifter! It was purely selfish on my part. Hours of no activity and sudden bursts of extreme is too hard on the body to not stay in some kind of decent shape.