It’s Tough to Make Tac: VIDEO
When you hear someone talking about a police tactical team, you may have visions from your favourite movie of officers rapelling down buildings, driving armoured trucks or rescuing hostages from an airplane. Well, you’re not too far off from reality.
Officers of the Peel Regional Police Tactical and Rescue Unit are highly trained professionals who are well respected amongst the North American tactical community. Selected officers have received training across Canada and the United States from members of the L.A.P.D., F.B.I., RCMP and the U.S. Navy Seals, to name a few.
Once officers are selected to be a part of the unit, they train weekly as a full team due to the amount of specialized tasks they do and equipment they use. Certain officers receive additional training as rappelers, snipers, chemical munition or aircraft interdiction operators.
But none of that happens without first passing the fitness test, which is required for officers who wish to join the tactical team. We recently joined some officers who were participating in that testing and heard from Sergeant Don Deelen of the Tactical and Rescue Unit about what it takes to obtain a position in the unit.
Check out the video to learn more!
So what does it take?
The first step in becoming a member of the Tactical and Rescue Unit is to complete a two-part physical fitness test. The entire test is completed within the same day with a rest period in between the two parts.
Part one of the test is the Ontario Police Fitness test, consisting of a 2.5 kilometer run, curl-ups, push-ups and flexibility. This test is administered by members of the Peel Regional Police Fitness Bureau and Tactical Unit. Successful candidates must achieve a score of 75% or higher in order to continue to the second phase of testing.
Part two of the test is a tactical themed obstacle course which must be completed within 9 minutes and 30 seconds while wearing a tactical vest, duty belt and boots.
1) While wearing a gas mask, scale the rappel tower (8 flights of stairs) then back down to the Tactical garage, remove the gas mask, scale a six foot wall, grab a 150lb mannequin, located on the other side of the wall, and drag it to the far end of the garage (40 meters).
2) While in a seated position, grab a rope attached to a 75 pound sled and pull it 50 feet along the floor.
3) Run to a set of ladders, climbing the first then descending the second.
4)Pick up the one-man ram next to the ladders, climb up and over a 4ft x 4ft wooden box then hit the box until it moves past a marked line. Climb back over the wooden box and hit it back to the starting position.
5) Exit the garage, pick up a shield from the tactical vehicle and scale the rappel tower. When at the top, drop the shield, return to the vehicle, pick up the ram, climb the rappel tower. Once at the top, drop the ram, return to the garage and climb over a six foot wall, run a 200 meter lap of the parking lot.
6) Grab the 150lb mannequin and, using a fireman's carry, carry it across the garage (40 meters) and place it inside the tactical vehicle.
End of Test
To learn more about employment opportunities with Peel Regional Police visit our Recruiting Page.
