the application and determine you have met the minimum requirements, you are allowed to attend the written examination. The top 40 applicants are then asked to attend a physical agility test, and top 25 at the end of the physical agility test are placed on a civil service register to be hired from. When a vacancy in the sheriff’s office comes up, the top three names from the register are sent over for the sheriff’s office to conduct interviews, background investigations, and the medical, psychological and polygraph exams. The sheriff’s office doesn’t become involved in the hiring process until after the written exam and physical agility test have been completed, and names have been received from the register. Currently, the physical agility test conducted by the CPO consists of three portions:A 440 meter run with maximum time of 90 seconds26 sit-ups in one minuteRunning 50 feet to a 165 pound dummy, and then dragging the dummy back the 50 feet all in 30 seconds. Once hired, an employee must attend a state mandated law enforcement academy. To gain entry into this mandated academy, an employee must pass a Fitness Ability Test (FAT) conducted by the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. This FAT consists of:A 300 meter run in 62.5 secondsA vertical jump reaching 17 inches28 push-ups (male style – legs extended, not on knees)34 sit-ups in one minute1 1/2 mile run/walk in 14:02 minutes.The Outcomes: The physical agility test used by the CPO is a much lower standard than the test required to enter the state law enforcement academy. Most law enforcement agencies in Washington use either the academy test, or they have developed a test that is even a higher standard than the academy test. At these agencies, when an applicant is hired, it has already been shown that the applicant can pass the academy test. For my agency, an applicant must meet one standard to be hired, and then the new employee must meet another ...
