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Home » Fitness » Point adds ongoing fitness requirement for officers | News | dailyitem … – Sunbury Daily Item

Being physically fit is a standard requirement for joining most police departments but in Point Township, Police Chief Joshua VanKirk is taking it one step further: He is mandating his five officers to maintain fitness for the entire length of time they are employed or face job forfeiture.

At the moment you are hired thats where the fitness testing usually ends, VanKirk said Tuesday night as he unveiled this new department standard, at Point Township supervisors meeting.

Thats all going to change beginning sometime in early April. "We will start testing twice annually throughout someones entire career here, he explained. Its something every one of my officers thinks is a good idea.

All job applicants have to undergo a physical fitness battery of tests as part of the Point Township entry program. This new policy is the next logical step, VanKirk said. If you are fit enough to come in the door, that same standard should be held for you to stay.

There will be no age or gender difference in the testing, he explained. You need to run when it counts. If someone were to ask me, should a 50-year-old officer be as fit as a 25-year-old, I would say, Yes. If someone were pursuing a suspect running away on foot, that suspect doesnt care how old you are.

Officers wont be held to outlandish standards; no sub-four-minute miles. And the times between testing will be no less than four months.

The new standards will become standard policy, and board chairman Randy Yoxheimer agreed it was a good idea, and makes a lot of sense.

Other policies

VanKirk noted that holding officers to a fitness standard was not policy at any other Valley departments he knew of, although at one time, Milton had an incentive program that did involve fitness, he said.

"Sunbury does not have anything like this because I believe it would be a contractual issue, Sunbury police Chief Tim Miller said. "Although I agree that a police officer should be put through these tests. No matter one year on the job or 20 years on the job. There are a lot of issues with a policy like this to be worked out. But I do agree with it.

VanKirk noted that before initiating the policy, all of his officers were in on the plan and agreed to it.

The Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department also does not have physical fitness standards after hire, but does have a physical fitness test as part of the hiring process. That includes being able to jump 15 inches high from a standing position, running 300 meters in 70.1 seconds, a 1.5-mile run within 15 minutes and 55 seconds and push-up and sit-up requirements.

In Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam, the officers are under the civil service. All are required to take the civil service exam to be eligible for consideration. Shamokin Dam Police Chief Timothy Bremigen said his two officers are not required to pass a fitness test, but they do undergo yearly physical exams.

We encourage our officers to stay physically active, Bremigen said.

Riverside Police Chief Kerry Parkes said his department has fitness requirements for applicants conducted by Phoenix Physical Therapy. Parkes said they are standards for municipal police officers in accordance with Civil Service Commission requirements. The top three candidates following written and oral testing undergo the physical agility testing, he said.

Danville Police Chief Eric Gill said his department follows those same standards for applicants. The two departments dont have other testing once an officer is on the job.

Reporters Karen Blackledge, Marcia Moore, Eric Scicchitano and Francis Scarcella contributed to this report. Email comments to rdandes@dailyitem.com.

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Point adds ongoing fitness requirement for officers | News | dailyitem ... - Sunbury Daily Item

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Home » Fitness » Point adds ongoing fitness requirement for officers | News | dailyitem … – Sunbury Daily Item