Police Officer Physicals
Police Officer Physical Examinations
Every day in the line of duty, police officers face strenuous physical and emotional situations. These include combative incidents (such as handcuffing, using restraining devices, batons, locks, grips, holds, self-defense, and body force) and emergency response incidents (such as running, jumping, climbing, extensive crawling or walking, lifting/carrying, dragging/pulling, balancing, and pushing).
In addition to the physical demands on police offers, they are often subjected to substantial psychological and emotional stress, including aggression, violence, and cruelty and must often intervene in high-pressure, human crisis situations. That is why thorough evaluations and pre-screenings—as well as access to ongoing medical and psychological support— are necessary to ensure the ongoing health and safety of all officers.
Unlike with firefighters, who have national guidelines for medical screenings, there are currently no established standards to follow to determine a police officer candidate’s physical health. However, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is in the process of developing national consensus guidelines for clinicians who evaluate police officer candidates, although it’s not certain when these will be available.
Currently, the California Commission of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Medical Screening Manual—developed by national medical experts from a wide range of specialties—is a recognized resource to assess police officers.
