Preparing for the Physical
There have been several emails in my inbox with questions about the physical side of law enforcement, and what potential recruits can do to prepare themselves.
There is the need to be strong enough, fast enough, and fit enough to do the job – yes, you do need to be all of these things. Different sections within the department have different physical requirements, with patrol, Dog Squad and the Emergency Response Team having the most obvious need for their members to be physically fit.
A patrol officer has to be able to chase after and physically subdue (if required) a fleeing suspect. The physical test, which includes the Police Officer’s Physical Abilities Test (POPAT), is specifically designed to test an applicants ability to do this.
A Dog Squad officer has the added requirement of being able to lift their dog over an obstacle and scale that same obstacle themselves, as well as be able to contort themselves into places where their dog leads them, whether it be a culvert, through a blackberry patch, or up the side of a mountain. They have to be able to keep up with their dog, sometimes for several kilometers through harsh terrain.
Then the Emergency Response Team officer, who must meet all of the above requirements, has the added need to be able to carry X pounds of gear, various firearms, and emergency supplies/equipment while still being able to be mentally alert. These officers are held to the highest physical standard – as they should be. Their training courses are intense (I can vouch for that, having taken part in one of the courses – the course kicked my butt, but was some of the best training I’ve ever had) and not for the faint of heart.
So, what does an applicant do to prepare themselves for the POPAT?
First, understand that you have to be able to run 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) in under twelve minutes. You also have to complete the POPAT in under four minutes and fifteen seconds. Here is a video of Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu explaining the POPAT and running through it himself:
How do you train for these? Start running. Time yourself. Run the Sea Wall if you can, and follow the route the actual test takes – one and a half times around Brocton Oval, down to the Sea Wall, then West on the Sea Wall, past the Lighthouse, finishing at a big tree stump even with the North entrance to Brocton Oval. If you can not run the distance in under twelve minutes, train harder.
As for the POPAT, the VPD offers drop-in sessions for current applicants. If you cannot make it to one of these sessions, then start cross training. Do stairs, sit-ups, crunches and any interval training you can think of. Train hard because the harder you train, the easier the test will be.
You do not to be a ‘naturally gifted athlete’. Instead, you need to be a person who is willing and able to train hard, to push yourself, and to take constructive criticism about what you can do better. One of the best feelings in the world is to know you have done your absolute best and excelled because of it.
Do you have it in you?
9. February 2010 at 6:00 pm :
I can’t remember where but I saw a video of a really athletic looking guy doing a police physical test which he easily passes. At the end he’s escorted away in cuffs (for dramatic effect I’m guessing) and it’s revealed he’s a prisoner.
A voice over encourages police to maintain their fitness.
9. February 2010 at 6:38 pm :
I’ve seen the same video and will take a look for it – it’s an excellent example of why to stay in shapre.
9. February 2010 at 6:52 pm :
I was amazed on the first day of my academy class to see a few trainees who had not been pushing themselves physically prior to showing up. Since we were notified months in advance that we had been selected, I really felt no pity when those who were unprepared for the fitness dropped out.
I remember two trainees who struggled early in training, but had extraordinary determination that allowed them to persevere and pass the 22 weeks of physical challenges. Both became excellent officers.
Sadly, one of those officers was killed in the line of duty a few years ago.
In sum, your guidance of “train harder” no matter what is wise advice.
9. February 2010 at 7:59 pm :
It always bothers me when someone asks me what they have to do to pass our “power test”. Physical fitness in law enforcement is something I’m fairly passionate about. I would argue that simply preparing for the physical fitness test is not enough. Either prepare for the *career*, or don’t, and save everyone the headache. But if a recruit’s mentality is “what do I have to do to pass this test”, I already question their suitability.
I like how you focus on the phsyical demands of the job first, the much more important consideration, than the physical test. Of course the physical test is important, in that it’s a hurdle. But it’s just a hurdle, and there’s a long race after that.
10. February 2010 at 9:05 pm :
The main thing I see with people doing the POPAT course is the unfamiliarity with it. There are certain rules that you have to abide by, if the rules are broken, you have to start that section over again. EG ( dropping the weight on the push/pull machine or grabbing the rail on your way up from a vault) By that time you are dead tired and adding additional repititions on can cause applicants to get fatigued. Cross fit is a great exercise to get fit for the POPAT, along with short sprints and long distance runs. Think of it as a obstacle course. Remember it’s not just about if you finish, but how well you finish.