Photo by Sergeant Eric Hampton.
0114 LawFit Homewood Police
Officer Steve Hensley takes his shot after running the obstacle course at the Eastern LawFit Challenge.
While you might assume the main causes of death in police work are from gunfire or even vehicular accidents, the number of officers who are dying from heart attacks is on the rise. Too many deaths involve officers who have collapsed either on the job or during a training exercise. Many are under the age of 50.
For this reason, Homewood Police recently established a dedicated Fitness Team to help encourage officer fitness, giving them an extra incentive to get and stay healthy.
In October, the team travelled to Virginia Beach for the Eastern LawFit Challenge, a competition for law enforcement that brings together departments from across the country. LawFit is designed to test an officer’s physical and mental endurance, combining classic strength exercises, running and shooting skills, much like the PT test an officer will take at the academy in order to graduate.
At the competition, Homewood placed in the top 10 in several events and also received the John R. Linn Award, which is given to those who reflect the spirit and commitment of the LawFit Challenge.
The team has also created a renewed awareness of the importance of fitness within the department and is encouraging more officers to participate.
In June, the team will return to Olive Branch, Miss., to compete in the National LawFit Challenge. So far they have been the only Alabama team to compete but are actively recruiting more agencies from the state to participate.
Companies and individuals can sponsor the Homewood Police Fitness Team by donating through the Homewood Police Foundation. Donations are tax deductible and will be used to help pay for the officers’ entry fees, uniforms and other expenses involved in representing the City in future competitions. To learn more, contact homewoodpolicefoundation@charter.net.
-Submitted by Homewood Police Department
