Have you ever wondered if you can pass the Garda fitness test?
There are various claims that the two-part test is either too easy or, as Fianna Fail Justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan has argued, too difficult.
The Garda Commissioner has recently been working hard to increase the number of troops above the target of 15,000 set by the Government.
Right now, we’re about 1,000 seconds away from that goal. The closure of Garda College in Templemore due to coronavirus has had a significant impact on overall figures, which continue to fall due to retirements and the departure of junior members.
As part of our efforts to increase these numbers, the recruitment age limit has recently been increased from 35 to 50 years, and the weekly training allowance has increased from €184 to €305.
In a further effort to encourage these applications, 48 hours after the latest campaign deadline, national media were invited to spend a day at Templemore and take part in a much-discussed fitness test.
Sergeant Pat Kirwan, Foundation Training and Development Specialist, trained “recruits” today at Templemore. Nile Carson
Nile Carson
count the beeps
After a morning briefing (which reassured us that we would enjoy the day and “even have a little fun” and that we wouldn’t have to undergo a standard drug test afterwards), we were off to take part in an exercise. The journalists were ushered into a large sports hall. You will be exposed to our pace.
The dreaded “bleep test” was the first item on the agenda.
It is a particularly demanding exercise, requiring continuous running between two points 20 meters apart. The amount of time you can get through the floor gradually decreases until candidates start dropping out.
Measured on a sliding scale. A 24-year-old and a 44-year-old girlfriend have different goals to achieve, and men’s goals are higher than women’s.
However, most participants found it difficult. And even those who got through comfortably thought they needed to attend some sort of basic training to ensure they progressed through the seal.
The dreaded “bleep test” required participants to move back and forth within increasingly narrow time frames. Nile Carson
Nile Carson
How many sit-ups can you do in 60 seconds?
As various “recruits” fell by the wayside, one member of the Garda Press Office, clearly sated on Weetabix, continued cantering against the beeps in the sports hall long after everyone else had left. continued. Sean Mack Soin, 52, an avid runner, finally stumbled to a halt when he realized his stopwatch battery was likely to die before he did.
The field began to thin out in the next room, where we were required to complete a certain number of sit-ups within 60 seconds, followed by a push-up goal.
Again, it was measured on a sliding scale and the targets were different for men and women. (without going into specifics) journal At this stage I was well out of contention for the fictional location of Templemore, having missed the target in all three tests and somehow forgotten the target for the bleep test to boot. )
Sergeant Kirwan times reporters during the sit-up section. Nile Carson
Nile Carson
Not outstanding in my field
A number of journalists, still conceptually vying for one of Templemore’s imaginary spots, had fallen off a cliff by the time they arrived at another venue for the final part of the test.
The final part of the exam was a slightly surreal obstacle course that included tasks such as jumping over a farm gate, lifting a spare wheel and pulling a mannequin around a room.
The setup may have seemed a little strange at first glance, but Garda Press Bureau boss Liam Geraghty assured me it was all perfectly reasonable and practical.
“It’s a test of their agility and balance. It’s something our members experience on a daily basis, but at a slightly higher level.”
“If you’re walking on the beach, you might be asked to help change the spare tire. You might be asked to lift someone off the ground. You might be asked to chase someone over a wall or gate. I might have to.”
The Journal’s Darragh Brophy will man the farm gate. Nile Carson
Nile Carson
A peaceful voyage?
Reporters were given the opportunity to speak with several new employees during a break in proceedings. Neither woman spoke to me, journal – Both are now well on their way to training at Templemore – a section where there are many difficulties in passing the physical exam and where poorly prepared candidates can miss the mark. One person admitted that there were a lot of (the second new employee had a physical trainer qualification before joining) and the guards had no hesitation in saying she almost got through). .
The debate over whether the exam is too difficult is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. However, as far as the head of the GRA’s rank and file organization is concerned, this is a proven method of ensuring that candidates have the basic physical fitness required to carry out modern Garda work.
And while recruiters admit failure rates are up to 35%, those who successfully apply to Templemore as part of the current campaign won’t have to complete the test until some point in the summer He also points out this point with great enthusiasm. .
As Liam Geraghty says: “It’s probably going to be five or six months before you get called up, so get out and walk or run, or join your local sports club or gym.”
