Page 55 - JSOM Spring 2026

Relationship Between Age and Performance of
Police Tactical Group Candidates and Officers Completing
an Occupationally Relevant Specialist Police Physical Assessment

Shane D. Irving ; Jeremy Robinson ;
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Ben Schram, PhD ; Rodney Pope, PhD ; Robin Orr, PhD *
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ABSTRACT
Background: Police Tactical Group (PTG) officers, in general, and carry loads of around 20–25kg, or over 40kg with fur-
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are older than their general duties counterparts. The nature of ther specialised equipment (e.g., ballistic shields). As such,
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the occupational role scope demands a high level of fitness; these officers require exceptional levels of fitness, which has
thus, physical assessments are essential. This research inves- been described as being akin to elite athletes. 6
tigated the relationship between officer age and completion
times for an occupationally relevant physical fitness assessment Given the fitness requirements of these personnel and the na-
in specialist police officers. Methods: Retrospective data were ture of their tasks, assessing their ability to perform within
collected from 34 male PTG officers (age 37.8 [SD 6.5] y); their units is of utmost importance. To ensure operator capa-
height 181.6 [SD 6.7] cm; body mass 91.5 [SD 10.9] kg) and bility, many tactical agencies in general and police agencies
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18 male PTG candidates (age 32.1 [SD 5.0] y; height 183.7 specifically employ fitness testing batteries. Moving away
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[SD 5.8] cm; body mass 89.4 [SD 8.7] kg) competing in the from traditional measures (such as push-ups, sit-ups, and
RUSH assessment. The RUSH consisted of alternating direc- running assessments), agencies are increasingly using occu-
tional sprints, crawls, 80kg mannequin drags (10–20m), and pationally relevant tests based on their specific occupational
adopting shooting positions. Operational personal protective demands. In law enforcement, for example, multiple activity
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equipment (PPE; 22.2 [SD 4.90] kg) was worn. Results: PTG obstacle-course-like assessments are often used. Examples of
officers were significantly older (P=.002) and carried signifi- these include the Work Sample Battery Test (WSTB) and the
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cantly lighter PPE loads (P<.001). There were no significant SWAT Operators Readiness Test (SORT). Van der Weyden
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differences in mean RUSH times between PTG officers (105.1 et al. reported on SWAT operators completing a variety of
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seconds [SD 14.6s]) and candidates (111.7 (SD 9.2) s, P=.056). fitness assessments, including both generic tests (e.g., lunges,
Correlations and a backward stepwise regression model were push-ups, etc.) and an occupationally relevant obstacle course
consistent in indicating that neither age nor group was a sta- (e.g., sprints, a window ascent, crawls, serpentine runs, and a
tistically significant predictor of RUSH time. PPE weight was body drag), with these tests being completed while wearing
not significantly predictive of RUSH time when entered alone a weighted vest to mimic job demands. These tests are em-
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in a regression model. Conclusion: Age was not a significant ployed as a benchmark for potential recruits and for ensuring
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predictor of RUSH times; as such, the RUSH can be used for the capability of current, qualified officers. 10
initial candidates and for older qualified personnel. Ongoing
physical strength and conditioning practices undertaken by For any fitness test or physical capability assessment in the
PTG officers may mitigate age-related fitness loss. tactical domain to be valid, it must be based on the specific
job role of personnel in the respective tactical unit. Consid-
Keywords: tactical; law enforcement; special operations; ering this, Irving et al. found specialist officers considered
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physical employment standards; SWAT ‘high-risk warrant execution’ and ‘Movement Over Urban
Terrain’ (MOUT) to be the most physically demanding tasks
they performed. The MOUT is typified by responding to an
active armed offender event, requiring short bursts of high-
Introduction
intensity activity as operators move between points of cover.
Specialist police officers are required to perform job tasks Research by Robinson et al. (on officers completing a multi-
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beyond the scope of general-duty police. They serve in units story active armed offender scenario) found that over 50%
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such as Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) in the United of the scenario was conducted at 90%–100% of the officers’
States, Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE) in age-predicted maximum heart rates, while reaching speeds of
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Brazil, and Police Tactical Groups (PTGs) in Australia. These 7–10.99km/h and wearing full tactical loads.
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job tasks can include counter terrorism operations, hostage
rescues, and high-risk armed offender apprehension. When Considering these movement profiles and physiological de-
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performing these tasks, specialist officers are required to wear mands, a new, occupationally relevant assessment called the
*Correspondence to Tactical Research Unit, Bond University, 14 University Drive, Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia 4226 or
rorr@bond.edu.au
1 SSGT (retd) Shane D. Irving is a PhD candidate affiliated with the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Queensland,
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Australia. Jeremy Robinson is a PhD candidate affiliated with the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Queensland, Aus-
tralia. Dr. Ben Schram is a researcher affiliated with the Tactical Research Unit, Bond University, Queensland, Australia. Dr. Rodney Pope is a
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Professor with Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia. Dr. Robin Orr is a Professor and Director of the Tactical Research Unit,
Bond University, Queensland, Australia.
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