Should guards have minimum fitness requirements?

unreggd · 22-01-2007 01:15AM #1

I always see chubby guards strollin around and think to myself Would they be able to run after and catch a robber/perp if they needed to?

Not tryin to be shallow or offensive, but it seems as if once they get into the guards they can chilax

Are there any followups in terms of fitness checks as opposed to health checks?

valor · 22-01-2007 01:17AM

Yes they should

Sangre · 22-01-2007 01:18AM

How often does a Gaurd actually have to chase someone down on foot?

MrJoeSoap · 22-01-2007 01:32AM

Sangre wrote:

How often does a Gaurd actually have to chase someone down on foot?

How long is a piece of string?

They should have reasonably frequent fitness tests.

Trinity · 22-01-2007 01:44AM

unreggd wrote:

I always see chubby guards strollin around and think to myself Would they be able to run after and catch a robber/perp if they needed to?

Not tryin to be shallow or offensive, but it seems as if once they get into the guards they can chilax

Are there any followups in terms of fitness checks as opposed to health checks?

Dont think so unless they are applying for a particular unit or promotion or something.

Its to their own benefit to be fit in case the need to rrrruuuunnnnnn arises.

Guess it also depends on their particular job - some are assigned to desk duty. Not hard to get a fat ass sitting around all day like any other pencil pusher and if your not out in the thick of the action you may not realise how unfit you have become.

Course they have to run after people on foot Sangre. When on the 'beat' walking. When in cars they sometimes have to get out ya know - the crims dont come up and jump into the squad car afaik they usually leggit

Mossy Monk · 22-01-2007 01:47AM

unreggd wrote:

chilax

to hell with you!!!!!!!

Sam Vimes · 22-01-2007 01:48AM

Sangre wrote:

How often does a Gaurd actually have to chase someone down on foot?

but what about that one time when they do?

muckwarrior · 22-01-2007 01:49AM

Thats weird, I was actually just thinkin about this yesterday. Yes I do think they should have periodic fitness checks.

Kingp35 · 22-01-2007 02:01AM

Yes they should, whether they have desk job or not because there will come a time when they hve to chase someone down.
Incidently the fattest guard I have ever seen works outside the Dáil. Obviously its an important job :rolleyes:

Voodu Child · 22-01-2007 02:15AM

You see them legging it around the city centre a fair bit - they're patrolling an area and there's an incident nearby. Usually its pretty embarrassing to watch, they're mostly pretty heavy, and theyre laden down with their stupid uniforms.

Im sure 9 times out of 10 its nothing too serious, and it doesnt matter if they arrive in 60 seconds or 90, but theres always that one time. So, yeah, I think they should have periodic fitness checks.

Victor · 22-01-2007 03:06AM

They do have tests.

The_B_Man · 22-01-2007 03:48AM

I was under the impression they had to do a fairly decent fitness test to actually get in in the first place...no?

22-01-2007 05:32AM

The first two years they have to pass regular fitness tests. No more after that.

Almost impossible to keep fit on the Garda regular unit shift.

Monthly Roster consists of:

One weekend off a month.
7 nights monday to sunday 10pm - 6am (v tired that week - no training sleep more important)
Monday and Tuesday off (bear in mind you finish work at 6am Monday morning its classed as a day off)
Back to work Wednesday at 2pm. (Next day off is exactly one week away!)
(off wednesday and thursday and hopefully none of your cases are in court that day)
Back to work Friday next day off is the one and only weekend off a month but its a long weekend - your off friday sat and sun. nights again repeat.
These three weeks before the next week of nights consist of Late shifts (2pm - 10pm and Early shifts 6am - 2pm)

These shifts are mixed - which means that if you finish at 10pm then your back in at 6am a few times a month. Finish at ten commute home max sleep you will get before getting up for work is realistically 4-6hours.
Factor in the fatigue, the court dates on your days off that you could be sacked for if you miss! At least disiplined and fined wages! Irregular meal times a naturally stressful job and no circadian rhythm and forget fitness.
Anyone serious about fitness knows that sleep and reuglar good food is essential to be at your optimal.
So these Gardai are going around sleep starved cranky and generally annoyed
it all makes sense lol

22-01-2007 05:34AM

and yes our frontline police should be well fit and should be able to chase people down if and when needed. Its what they are there for!?

padi89 · 22-01-2007 08:35AM

Well it seems we are a nation of fatties so its all relevant , fat cops and fat robbers.

4Xcut · 22-01-2007 09:45AM

Kingp35 wrote:

Incidently the fattest guard I have ever seen works outside the Dáil. Obviously its an important job :rolleyes:

I've seen him, he couldn't catch a cold.

cold_filter · 22-01-2007 09:50AM

One of my friends was a garda, he was fit and healthy when he joined within 3 years he'd put on about 5 stone.

He emigrated to australia before christmas, he was joining the oz police force, took him six months of training everyday and eating salds to get himself into near decent shape

scojones · 22-01-2007 10:07AM

They do have a minimum fitness requirement; they must be able to walk if their car gets stolen.

godtabh · 22-01-2007 10:17AM

Some of the lads in the force take some pride in their jobs and take care of them selfs. Some of them are just in it for the pension and dont give a flying fuuck.

My two uncles are gardai.

One does triathlons.

The other does bike races.

Both are in their 40's.

Any one who has the potential to arrest some one should be doing fitness tests. So thats every one

22-01-2007 10:27AM

kearnsr wrote:

Some of the lads in the force take some pride in their jobs and take care of them selfs. Some of them are just in it for the pension and dont give a flying fuuck.

My two uncles are gardai.

One does triathlons.

The other does bike races.

Both are in their 40's.

Any one who has the potential to arrest some one should be doing fitness tests. So thats every one

I bet you anything they do not work the regular shift

Victor · 22-01-2007 11:10AM

Oh,, I was tempted to call out "Here piggy, piggy" to a food-carrying garda last night ........... as I passed the garda station, with my Chinese.

godtabh · 22-01-2007 11:29AM

Deleted User wrote:

I bet you anything they do not work the regular shift

Neither works 9 to 5

Ciara22 · 22-01-2007 11:36AM

I am the (neglected) girlfriend of a garda! The hours are so horrible that he barely has time to sleep some nights. Although he still finds time to go to the gym every day :rolleyes: I think fitness levels do depend on the area they work in, and some of the regular unit guys understandably have very little time to train.

The whole court thing on days off winds me up no end! Also impossible to ever go on holiday as if a court case came up, he would have to fly home.:mad:

connundrum · 22-01-2007 11:48AM

I think that we (in general) are very bad at keeping up constant levels of training altogether.

Guards should be fitness checked every year (regardless of position) as they should always be physically able to chase a crim down.

I also reckon that Joe Public should be driver tested every 5 years, but that is an aside, and it probably never will happen

22-01-2007 12:11PM

kearnsr wrote:

Neither works 9 to 5

yeah but I bet neither do the regular shift, the regular unit are the units that man the stations and patrol cars 24hrs. Units such as the community police and detectives who do not cover 24 hrs
Traffic Units are the same - very rare for a traffic unit to call to an accident its always left to the regular unit plus the traffic are mainly concerned with speeding, tax , insurance etc - they rarely work past 2am.

Terry · 22-01-2007 03:55PM

I can't find a link for it, but there was a story on sky news earlier about a muslim woman who has just qualified as a police officer in england. at the graduation ceremony she would not shake the hand of the police commissioner because he was not a member of her family (religious ground. some muslim women will not lay their hands on a man who is not a relative). what the **** is she going to do if she has to arrest a man?
Police woman: 'just wait there until i call for back up. i can't actually touch you because my religion forbids it.'
Criminal: see ya!

unreggd · 22-01-2007 10:14PM

connundrum wrote:

Guards should be fitness checked every year (regardless of position) as they should always be physically able to chase a crim down.

Indeed

"I know I'm a guard, but i work at the desk, I shouldnt be expected to chase robbers"

Sangre · 22-01-2007 11:54PM

julep wrote:

I can't find a link for it, but there was a story on sky news earlier about a muslim woman who has just qualified as a police officer in england. at the graduation ceremony she would not shake the hand of the police commissioner because he was not a member of her family (religious ground. some muslim women will not lay their hands on a man who is not a relative). what the **** is she going to do if she has to arrest a man?
Police woman: 'just wait there until i call for back up. i can't actually touch you because my religion forbids it.'
Criminal: see ya!

Scotland Yard said they'd fire her if she wouldn't perform her duties.

DublinWriter · 22-01-2007 11:59PM

Deleted User wrote:

The first two years they have to pass regular fitness tests. No more after that.

Yes, there's the mile run and the push-me/pull-me thingy that requires a lot of upper-body strength.

However, there is no on-going physical testing for serving members both of An Garda Siochàna and the Defense Forces. Why? Because various medical conditions can induce obesity and discriminating someone based on the grounds of disability runs contrary to various National and EU employment laws. In other words, massive unfair dismissal cases costing the state (i.e. us taxpayers) millions.

If memory serves me right, the Army tried to bring in such in-service physical testing in 2003 and came under tremendous legal pressure from PDFORRA (the Permenant Defence force other Ranks Repersentative Association) to drop it, which they eventually did.

So OP, to answer your question, the guards do have mimimum fitness requirements, but only to initially attest a member.

afatbollix · 23-01-2007 12:22AM

one of our local gurds was over 25 stone... i mean it.... he even broke the seat of the local garda car and had to be taken off the street... i also seen him attend a problum on a bus and well he couldent get down the aisle so couldent get the guy off thebus so the driver had to leave him on....

there was word that they were to get a spical door fit and a seat belt so he could drive around again....

unreggd · 23-01-2007 01:07AM

DublinWriter wrote:

So OP, to answer your question, the guards do have mimimum fitness requirements, but only to initially attest a member.

I already said that

Its not discrimination. Im not sayin they shouldnt be guards cos they're fat, I'm sayin they should be able to do all the duties they're supposed to, no matter how often they actually do them

How would you feel if a criminal killed someone you know just because the guard chasin him last week wasnt fit enough to catch him?

Should guards have minimum fitness requirements?

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