George Luna, a 27-year-old detention officer at the county jail, passed his annual physical fitness test in October. While he had passed previous tests, Luna said that this time, “It was easier than previous ones.”
That’s because Luna had lost 45 pounds during the second half of 2013, a change that he said has made a “huge difference” in his ability to do his job.
“I can move more easily and not get exhausted,” he said. “My condition is way better than it was.”
Law enforcement, inmate control, emergency medical response and firefighting require strength and agility, and if a person doesn’t have those or is overweight, it can be hard or impossible to completely perform their duties. At the Rio Rico Fire District, two employees chose to resign rather than meet tough regulations, Chief Les Caid said. At the Tubac Fire District and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, all employees have met the standards recently.
Luna said that he decided on his own to lose weight, although several supervisors at the Sheriff’s Office hinted it might be a good idea.
“Being physically fit is one of the main reasons” he made the change. Luna said that in his line of work, self-defense is important and he might need to withstand assault.
To help take off weight, Luna purchased a commercial program called “Team Beachbody” that provides nutritional supplements and other resources, and he also exercises regularly. He said he wants to continue to lose additional weight.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Jerry Maldonado said his agency uses the Cooper Institute standards to administer physical fitness tests. The requirements are divided for women and for men and also by age group. All incoming employees have to meet the standards and that tests are administered three times a year.
Maldonado said those can include a 1.5-mile run, push ups, sit-ups, and sit-and-reach for flexibility. Men ages 20 to 29, for example, must run the 1.5-mile in 12 minutes and 51 seconds, or less.
“Usually everyone gets it done,” Maldonado said. They will re-test individuals up to three times until they pass, he added.
The value in physical fitness standards, Maldonado said, is that it makes a person “fit for duty. They’ll be physically, mentally and emotionally sharp. They’ll react better and make better decisions.
“Deadly force will not be their first choice,” he said. “A person who is physically fit can control a situation better than a person who is out of shape.”
The Nogales Police Department also requires the Cooper Institute standards for its recruits before they graduate the Arizona Peace Officers and Standards Training Academy.
NPD Lt. Carlos Jimenez said that once an individual is employed at the police department, “We cannot force our officers to pass tests,” and they are no longer required to undergo regular physical fitness exams. The Americans With Disabilities Act prohibits the department from firing an officer for being overweight, he said.
In any case, NPD doesn’t like to discharge an officer because “there’s a lot of time and investment that goes into these officers,” Jimenez said. Instead, department leaders work with employees if needed to help them “lose the weight and maintain their good health and their job.”
Jimenez said that if there is a concern, an officer or employee can be sent for a “fit for duty” exam with a physician. The physician, he said, will decide if the individual is indeed fit for duty.
Fire districts
The Rio Rico Fire District evaluates employee fitness with a test administered to wildland firefighters called the “Arduous Pack Test.” It consists of wearing a weighted 45-pound vest while walking three miles in less than 45 minutes. It measures aerobic capacity, strength and endurance.
RRFD adopted the test about two years ago, Caid said. About a year ago, two employees decided not to take the test and retired.
“A couple of other individuals, it’s been tough on them but they’ve overcome some of the challenges and met the standards,” he said.
RRFD also requires an annual physical exam at Well America, a Tucson company that specializes in fitness and health for firefighters and SWAT teams.
The Tubac Fire District decided in 2013 to contract with Well America for its fitness exams, said Chief Kevin Keeley. New hires and continuing employees are required to be tested and meet the standards. Annual tests measure eight types of physical agility to be completed in a 9.5-minute period. Well America also provides nutrition expertise for firefighters.
Keeley said all the employees will have completed their testing by the end of January. Any of the district’s firefighters who respond to wildland fires are also assessed annually with the Arduous Pack Test, he said.
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