Montana Police Academy entry and passing requirements:

Part One - Obstacle Course/Mobility Run

Station - Balance Beam

From a standing start, the officer runs around a cone and jumps up on the fifteen-foot balance beam, running the entire length. If he/she falls off the beam the officer must return to the course start-point and repeat the obstacle.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Pursuing a person on foot over uneven terrain
• Walking-Running while balancing on narrow elevated surfaces

Physical Abilities

• Balance
• Depth perception
• Agility
• Lower body strength

Station - Five-foot Jump Obstacle

After completing the balance beam obstacle the officer rounds another cone and jumps the five foot obstacle (designed to simulate a ditch or other opening-type obstacle). The officer’s feet (foot) cannot land within the marked obstacle perimeter.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Pursuing someone on foot
• Jumping across obstacles

Physical Abilities

• Depth perception
• Running speed
• Agility
• Lower body strength
• Core Strength
• Ability to jump

Station - Stair Climb Simulator

After completing the jump obstacle the officer rounds another cone and runs 60 feet of the course to the stair simulator. Comprised of five steps on either side, the officer runs up one side, down the other, rounds a cone and repeats the stair obstacle. The officer must hit at least one step and the top platform, going up and down.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Pursuing someone on foot
• Walking/Running Up/Down Stairs

Physical Abilities

• Depth perception
• Visual acuity
• Agility
• Coordination
• Lower body strength
• Core strength

Station - Crawl Obstacle

After completing the stair simulator obstacle, the officer runs to the crawl obstacle, drops down and goes under the 23" high bar.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Pursuing someone on foot
• Crawling through small opening

Physical Abilities

• Agility
• Flexibility
• Coordination
• Core body strength
• Core power
• Lower body strength

Station - 18-inch Barrier Jump (x2)

After completing the crawl obstacle the officer traverses the center section of the course, which contains two eighteen-inch jump barriers. These barriers are intended to represent small obstructions, such as curbs, landscape features, etc.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Pursuing someone on foot
• Jumping over common obstacles

Physical Abilities

• Depth perception
• Coordination
• Balance
• Lower body strength
• Core strength
• Ability to jump

Station - Three-foot Vault

After completing the two 18 -inch jump barriers the officer does a controlled vault of three feet, makes a two-footed landing, then drops to a prone position, rises without assistance and begins the obstacle course again.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Pursuing someone on foot
• Jump/Climb over obstacles
• Regain feet after falling/being knocked down
• Jump down from elevated surface

Physical Abilities

• Depth perception
• Agility
• Coordination
• Balance
• Core Power
• Upper/Lower body strength

Station - Fall to Back/Front

After completing the vault obstacle and returning to their feet the officer falls to stomach and then to back, recovering to their feet each time without using any assistance.The purpose of this is to simulate recovery from falling/being knocked down, after clearing an obstacle.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Physically control a person
• Pursue/Struggle with suspect
• Regain feet after falling/being knocked down

Physical Abilities

• Balance
• Core strength
• Upper/Lower body strength

Part Two - Push Pull Machine

Station - Push Pull Machine

After completing six laps of the obstacle course the officer moves to the push-pull machine. This machine simulates struggling with, and controlling a subject, and extracting subject from a car or room. It presents a standardized "fight" obstacle to each participant.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Physically control a person
• Pull-Drag a person
• Struggle/Fight with a person

Physical Abilities

• Balance
• Agility
• Core strength
• Upper/Lower body strength

Station - Fall to Back/Front

After completing the push portion machine the officer moves to a wall and executes front and back falls to the floor, simulating being knocked down or falling to the ground in a fight scenario, and recovering to feet.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Physically control a person
• Get to feet after falling/being knocked down

Physical Abilities

• Balance
• Core strength
• Upper/Lower body strength

Part Three - Dummy Drag Section

After completing the fight portion of the test, the officer is given a sixty (60) second recovery time, and then moves to a 165-pound dummy. The dummy must be moved in a controlled manner for 25 feet.

Assessment Elements

Job Tasks

• Physically control a person
• Pull/Drag a person
• Lift/Carry a person

Physical Abilities

• Balance
• Core strength
• Lower/Upper body strength
• Ability to recover (the drag takes place after running the obstacle course, participants are usually quite fatigued at this point)