Author(s): GENDRON, A., POIRIER, S., GARCEAU, M., BONNEAU, G., LÉPINE, J., LAJOIE, C., Institution: QUEBEC POLICE ACADEMY (ÉCOLE NATIONALE DE POLICE DU QUÉBEC), Country: CANADA, Abstract-ID: 1118

INTRODUCTION:
In Canada, the use of a Physical Employment Standards (PES) for employee selection or retention should comply with legal standards related to bona fide occupational requirements, as defined by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Meiorin decision (1999). This ruling established a rigorous framework for PES in hiring and job-retention practices. Consequently, PES must reflect the minimum physical requirements necessary to perform critical tasks safely and efficiently (Zumbo, 2016; Milligan & Tipton, 2015). Tactical Response Unit (TRU) officers often traverse varied terrains while carrying loads of 20–40 kg, making the selection of candidates with adequate physical abilities essential. This conference paper presents a newly developed PES used for the recruitment and retention of TRU officers in Québec, and the method used to set its standards.
METHODS:
The project was implemented in five phases: 1) pre-experimental familiarization with operational tasks; 2) assessments of the tasks demands; 3) PES development; 4) measurement and determination of a cut-off score; 5) evaluation of measurement accuracy. For the fourth phase, 55 TRU members (all males) and 15 cadets (14 males and 1 female) were recruited, aged from 20 to 54. The TRU group were asked to complete the PES on two occasions, 24 hours apart. The cadet’s group were asked to complete the PES only once time. This approach was carried out to establish the quality of measurement and the cut-off score.
RESULTS:
The PES was developed using a hybrid approach combining job-related tasks and tests of specific physical abilities. It consists of two consecutive stages completed while wearing operational boots and a 20.4 kg weighted vest. The first stage is a 10-minute loaded run at progressively increasing speed (6–11 km/h), a previously determined VO2 max standard of 47.8 mL O2 · min-1 · kg-1. After a one-minute rest, candidates proceed to the second stage: a timed circuit of six stations. Two stations assess information retention, and one involves decision-making under time constraints, incorporating a cognitive component. These tasks rely on the key physical abilities essential for operational duties measured of TRU members during simulations. Based on data from 55 TRU members, the cut-off score was set at 196 s, calculated from the TRU mean time (156.55 s), standard deviation (26.42 s), and test–retest standard error (√1 – r (0.78) = 13.21). Using this cut-off, success rates were 88.6% for TRU members and 66.7% for cadets.
CONCLUSION:
This project developed and validated a PES ensuring candidates possess the minimum physical abilities required to safely and efficiently perform critical TRU tasks. As expected, cadets performed worse than TRU members, as they are untrained for physical tasks while carrying a 20.4 kg load despite being younger and fit. The 11.4% failure rate among TRU members was anticipated and evenly distributed, reflecting reduced training in some individuals due to contextual factors (e.g., injuries, retirement).