From the Office of the Sheriff Sheriff Dennis L. Dotson

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For Immediate Release

NEWS RELEASE

Date: September 4, 2007

Contact:	Lieutenant Curtis Landers 541-265-4277 x4946 clanders@co.lincoln.or.us
Incident:	Oregon Physical Abilities Testing (ORPAT)
Date Occurred:
Time Occurred:
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Summary:

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has adopted the Oregon Physical Abilities Test (ORPAT) for new applicants and for current employees. ORPAT is a physical abilities assessment process designed to evaluate Sheriff's Deputies on essential physical capacities required to satisfactorily perform job duties. ORPAT was designed to replicate critical and essential physical tasks and demands faced by Deputies in the normal performance of their duties. Both specific tasks and overall physical demands are replicated in the ORPAT through the use of a carefully designed and validated “obstacle course.”

The ORPAT course consist of a 1235-foot obstacle run where the Deputy must demonstrate essential, job related physical abilities such as mobility, agility, flexibility, power and general physical endurance. This includes: the balance beam, a five foot jump, stair simulator, crawl obstacle, hurdles, and 3-foot fence. The obstacle course must be completed a total of six times.

After completing the obstacle course the Deputy moves to the mechanical push/pull station. The Deputy grasps the machine handles and pushes 80lbs off the floor, then moves left to right completing a 180-degree arc six times. The Deputy must then execute controlled falls. The Deputy then returns to the machine and pulls the 80lbs off the floor and moves left to right completing a 180-degree arc six times.

The last part of ORPAT consists of the Deputy dragging a 165lb dummy a distance of 25 feet.

New Sheriff's Deputy applicants will be required to complete ORPAT in five minutes and thirty seconds (5:30) or less. This timeframe is required to pass the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) police academy.

ORPAT testing will be provided to current Sheriff's Deputies twice a year, although there is no time limit. The ORPAT equipment was purchased with the Newport Police Department. The Sheriff's Office currently has four instructors trained to administer ORPAT.

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