GAINESVILLE – Recent research data showing that law enforcement officers in general are less fit than at least half of the nation’s population is going to change if the Hall County Sheriff’s Office has anything to do with it.
Sergeant Greg Cochran, Health and Fitness Coordinator for the Sheriff’s Office said, “Sheriff (Gerald) Couch is the first sheriff to implement any type of physical fitness program that actually holds them accountable.”
Cochran was speaking Friday morning at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office training complex at Allen Creek.
Behind Cochran stood seven deputies who had volunteered to demonstrate to the media what would soon be expected of all deputies: an obstacle course complete with a two story structure at one end to simulate real-life conditions, a queue of adjustable-incline treadmills, weights, a heavy bag and a sand-filled dummy.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deputy Nicole Bailes said in a news release, “In an effort to improve the overall health and readiness of the HCSO workforce, Sheriff Couch is implementing a Physical Ability Assessment (PAA) beginning on a voluntary basis today (May 1). Beginning September 1, 2015, this assessment will be mandatory.”
Bailes added that all sworn deputies and certified jailors will undergo the assessment annually, and all new hires will be required to successfully pass the assessment prior to an offer of employment. "Performance on the PAA will be a consideration in the promotional process," Bailes wrote.
“This is something that we’re very passionate about,” Cochran explained, “not only having a healthier department but them being healthier when they’re at home.”
Cochran is well known, and has been for many years, in the area of physical conditioning beyond his duties with the Sheriff’s Office. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard one person complain that says ‘Man, I wish I hadn’t got healthy; I was happier when I was unhealthy.’ I’ve never heard anybody say that.”
Daniel Hosch is from Oakwood and has been with the Sheriff’s Office for only one week. As a new hire he will be among the first required to take the PAA.
“I’m very excited to be here. It looks like fun so far,” he said. Hosch said he enjoyed working out and played sports while in high school. “They said there was an opportunity so I came running.”
Officer Tracy Jorsling works at the jail. She is from Lawrenceville and said she was trying to lose weight and thought volunteering for the media demonstration would be beneficial to her weight loss efforts. She was first to run the obstacle course.
It started with exiting a patrol car, sprinting 50-yards through grass and 8-inch deep sand, and then vaulting a 4-foot high wall before proceeding to the heavy bag. She did well but was breathing hard when asked what she thought. “Tired,” she panted.
“You have to be working out to go through this course,” she added. “Whew!” she panted. “I’m losing weight.”
Cochran explained that the PAA would be calibrated in difficulty according to age and gender.
“Some of the movements, like going up and down a flight of stairs, isn’t prejudiced. We should all be able to do that if we’re carrying a gun and badge,” Cochran explained. “But certain amounts of push-ups and sit-ups are based on weight and gender.”
Cochran said when it comes to physical health and fitness, of equal importance to exercise is nutrition. He said nutritional training would be a part of the new program introduced by Sheriff Couch.
“How to read a food label; the simple ways of cutting out the soft drinks and drinking water; how to cut a thousand calories a day, just simple things like that,” Cochran said.
Cochran said long term effects of the program would benefit the officers personally, reduce injuries and sick-day usage, lower health costs for the County and provide the public with better-equipped-for-the-situation deputies.
“They (the public) deserve more out our law enforcement officials or any public (responder) like firemen or EMT’s. They need to be able to do the job they took an oath to do,” Cochran said, watching with Drill Instructor focus as the volunteers cranked-out a series of push-ups.
“Hopefully the testing inspires them all to work harder and become healthier as well.”
