Fitness Tests for Tactical Teams

[benelli]

I am curious what sort of physical fitness qualifications are required for your SWAT team. Ours is a handgun and shotgun shoot, then a 440, pushups, situps, pullups and then an obstacle course. Each event is awarded a certain number of points and there is a minimum in each event as well. If you do the minimum in each event, it will not be enough to pass the overall test. Our O course is conducted in long pants, long t-shirt, elbow and knee pads and front and back panel of body armor...

[ijoesnuffy]

when you say 440 whats that?
What the obstacle course like?




[This message has been edited by ijoesnuffy (edited 09-06-2000).]

[dsumner]

Ours consists of push-ups, sit ups, 1 1/2 mile run. You also have to be able to run 1 mile in a full set of tactical gear(kevlar helmet, assault vest, mask, elbow and new pads, etc.)

[Gunpoint]

We have to copy 20 pages of reports in under a minute, and then, without a break, snap a number two pencil in half using only the thumb and forefinger of our right hand.

[Swat1]

Ours is based on the LA County SO SWAT physical which consists of an obstacle course that is duty related. Start with a 100 yard run to a 5' wall, over the wall to a 15' culvert, out of the culvert to 15' long monkey bars, off the bars to an 8' tall chain link fence climb, over the fence to a 3' X 3' window cutout that is 4'6" high from the ground, through the window to a 6' wall, over the wall to a sand pit for a 185 lbs dummy drag to simulate officer down, drag for 15' then take a 1/4 mile run, back to the first 5 foot wall and do it all over again, except after the dummy drag climb up to a high balance beam and balance across it approximately 20' when you jump off the balance beam and your feet touch the ground your time stops. You must wear BDU's, boots and a 35 lbs tac vest. You have 6:45 to complete the course two times. It's an ass kicker but it's a great PT test.

We do it four times a year. Tryouts go through the same test. At the completion of the test you get a 10 minute rest before you climb the ladder to the rapel tower and come back down and climb it again. The tower is 75' tall so you end up climbing 150'. Of course you get to rapel down. Then after about a half hour rest you do firearms quals, but that's another matter.

Those of you who are NTOA members and have access to the Forums can see this and other anwers to the same question under SWAT Q&A: physical portion of tryout

Swat1*