Are cops/first responders out of shape?

[Lochton]

I work in a field adjacent to healthcare, but I don't have anything to do with patient care. I would never want to deal with patients and part of why is the dislike I have for people that destroy their bodies and then waste healthcare resources on things that could be remedied by them not behaving badly.

As long as you realize, there's more reasons to such things to happen than just, 'to destroy their bodies'.

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if dude kept running he prob got away since he was a bit faster than the cop.

To be honest, should've had a magazine of rubber bullets or the taser at hand.

[Jayburner]

if dude kept running he prob got away since he was a bit faster than the cop.

you can almost hear him go out of breath...it was a good chase though.

[Radaney]

I think in the UK the Police Force and Firefighters have to maintain physical fitness.

[Lochton]

you can almost hear him go out of breath...it was a good chase though.

I'm more a fan of police takedowns. Makes me laugh at why you would run if the cop basically can drop you in no time.

[Jayburner]

I think in the UK the Police Force and Firefighters have to maintain physical fitness.

I think first responders should be able to respond to a disaster...i might be old fashioned though.

[Ghostpanther]

Army requirements vary by gender, but for men the minimum for ages 22-26 after basic is a 16:36 2 mile time. That's pretty sensible - it's an easily achievable time for any young male and anything worse than that pretty strongly indicates either a disinterest in fitness or just zero physical talent. I can't really think of any good reason that police shouldn't be held to a similar standard.

Yeah I was checking. It has changed since I was in, these are the new rules.

How fast you need to run depends on your age and gender. Women and older soldiers aren’t expected to run as fast as young men. When you enter Army basic training, you’ll be divided into different groups based on your running test scores. Male runners in the top group will complete a mile in seven minutes or less. The second tier run the mile in less than 7:45, and the third group takes up to 8:30. For women, the top group runs a mile in nine minutes or less, the second highest completes the mile within 9:45, and the third tier finishes by 10:30. Women who run a mile faster than 8:30 will be placed in the appropriate men’s group. Women who complete a mile in more than 10:30, and men who need more than 8:30, are placed in a remedial group. If you're joining the Marines, men 17 to 26 must run three miles in less than 28 minutes. Women of the same age must complete three miles in 31 minutes or less.

It is not based only on gender however, but age. When I was in, back during the time they had the draft. It was a flat one mile in 10 mins or less for anyone.

[Spectral]

Yeah I was checking. It has changed since I was in, these are the new rules.

How fast you need to run depends on your age and gender. Women and older soldiers aren’t expected to run as fast as young men. When you enter Army basic training, you’ll be divided into different groups based on your running test scores. Male runners in the top group will complete a mile in seven minutes or less. The second tier run the mile in less than 7:45, and the third group takes up to 8:30. For women, the top group runs a mile in nine minutes or less, the second highest completes the mile within 9:45, and the third tier finishes by 10:30. Women who run a mile faster than 8:30 will be placed in the appropriate men’s group. Women who complete a mile in more than 10:30, and men who need more than 8:30, are placed in a remedial group. If you're joining the Marines, men 17 to 26 must run three miles in less than 28 minutes. Women of the same age must complete three miles in 31 minutes or less.

It is not based only on gender however, but age. When I was in, back during the time they had the draft. It was a flat one mile in 10 mins or less for anyone.

Yeah, makes sense. I suppose all-volunteer standards are likely to be somewhat higher on average for basic enlistment. Special forces standards are emphatically not higher now than in the past and it's pretty controversial (NPR writeup here).

I remain irritated at how feeble the female standards are. There's not actually a two minute/mile gap between male and female running on pure biology. Depending on the level of competition, it's ~30-60 seconds. Granting a full two minute gap is a pretty clear concession to just not wanting to kick out incompetent women.

Oh well, I guess.

[NM 156]

You probably shouldn't be a cop then.

Yes, I'm just about this unsympathetic in real life. I think it's pathetic when people make excuses for their fitness instead of sucking it up and taking care of their bodies. I don't really have a lot of occasions where the matter would come up and I'm never personally a jerk to people about it, but I have a pretty low opinion of the character of people that let their bodies go to shit.

There are many more pressing concerns than my mediocre fitness that would stop me from being a cop. (Though I can run a mile in less than the 10 minutes mentioned by vindicatorx)

I think what you are doing is using standards you already meet as a the bar and holding that against others. I'm fairly certain psychologists have a name for this behavior though I can't find it.

[Spectral]

I think what you are doing is using standards you already meet as a the bar and holding that against others. I'm fairly certain psychologists have a name for this behavior though I can't find it.

You're incorrect. The standard I'm referring to in running is way below what I'm capable of. I'm not quite able to meet special forces standards for upper body strength and have no trouble copping to not being strong enough for it - I'm flatly not good enough for those positions physically at the moment. If I were trying to get those positions, I'd work harder and there, they're completely reasonable standards.

I appreciate the attempt at psychoanalysis on the simple basis that I think police offers should bother to give a shit about their fitness though.

[Ghostpanther]

You're incorrect. The standard I'm referring to in running is way below what I'm capable of. I'm not quite able to meet special forces standards for upper body strength and have no trouble copping to not being strong enough for it - I'm flatly not good enough for those positions physically at the moment. If I were trying to get those positions, I'd work harder and there, they're completely reasonable standards.

I appreciate the attempt at psychoanalysis on the simple basis that I think police offers should bother to give a shit about their fitness though.

Very nice. I would say you are in excellent shape. I use to run 5 miles at once in 38 mins. 4 times a week. But can not do that now. Age effects us all.

But one thing to keep in mind is the police departments if they have too strict physical fitness rules, they may not be able to get enough qualified candidates and be under staffed. Which could be worse.

[Hexian]

A fit person (boy or girl) will be able to complete it in 5.
But everything is relative, I supose that to you americans a "fit person" is just somone of "normal" body shape.

Complete a mile in 5 minutes....

Yup, not even touching this one.

[vindicatorx]

Obvious troll thread, but I'll bite.

It's a country wide problem, but thanks to unions and other BS rules. Once you are in as a cop (regular city cop, not state highway patrol) you never have to do another physical exam. That IS the problem.

That's not true. The Sheriff's department I worked for had an annual physical fitness exam and a live fire exercise they had to pass. It was minimal at best, 60+ year old detectives that never leave a desk had to be able to pass as well as patrol cops.