Keeping Law Enforcement Officers Healthy & Performing Their Best
Dear Law Enforcement Professional,
Would it be beneficial to your department, your officers and your city if you could?
- Reduce injuries by 40-80%
- Reduce the severity of those injuries that do occur
- Reduce work comp and disability costs
- Reduce Temporary and Permanent disability
- Reduce unnecessary escalation to deadly force
- Reduce work comp fraud
- Improve officer morale and have them feel less aches and pains
Of course it would!
Best Performance Systems has been developing and implementing programs to solve many of the unique problems of Law Enforcement since 1992.
We have found that many of those issues can easily be solved.
We have a 100% success rate at providing the benefits listed above.
This page explains exactly how we:
- Evaluate a police department
- Customize a program
- Implement and maintain that program
- Provide systems that sustain the results indefinitely
Our program is an integrated system, combining simple, practical, effective law enforcement specific Ergonomics, Biomechanics, Physical Stress Reduction, Behavior Modification & Accelerated Learning Training, Leadership, and Incentive and Reminder Programs.
They are upbeat, positive and most important, very non time demanding.
Read further and do it yourself, apply what you learn to your department. If you need assistance, feel free to contact us and we will assist you.
We are also available as a “turn key” resource. We can evaluate and implement a customized program within 60 days almost anywhere in the world.
Finally, we can provide a “Train the trainer” program, assisting your in house training department to implement and maintain an integrated program.
Read below and learn how you can have an incredible and guaranteed impact on quality of life for your officers, safety for your public, and cost savings for your department.
Law Enforcement Injury Prevention Program
This is a Basic Program based on our experience with law enforcement. A final program is developed and customized with input gathered in Interviews and anonymous surveys from Management, The union, Field Officers and the City, as well as an evaluation of the department apprehension and containment techniques, equipment, and policies.
This page gives an overview of the Law Enforcement program that we apply with a 100% success rate.
It lays out what we do so you can implement it yourself.
We do not recommend changing your techniques and procedures, but instead applying improved ergonomics (your equipment), and technique to your current procedures.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss our assisting you to implement and maintain an Injury Prevention/Performance Enhancement Program.
We have implemented programs throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Southeast Asia.
This training is POST certifiable in the skills and knowledge module in California. It is certifiable in most states and countries.
You may not agree with everything you learn in this document. Please keep an open mind and remember that this system has a 100% success rate and has saved many organizations millions of dollars.
Introduction
The law-enforcement professional must survive in an environment with the potential of risk and danger. We’re used to thinking of the planning for those traumatic situations which are a clear and present danger. These are the obvious health risks in law enforcement.
But we now know that the greatest source and cause of disabling and painful conditions in Law Enforcement are cumulative injuries on a daily basis for years; from inappropriate use of standard equipment, small amounts of trauma from incorrect repetitive movements or prolonged poor postures over time.
The obvious benefits to improving those conditions are reducing expensive injuries, as well as temporary and permanent disability, a tremendous drain on financial resources.
In addition, as will be explained later in this document, by influencing your team to work with healthier habits, they will feel better and morale improves. Their existing apprehension and containment techniques are more effective controlling a suspect, so the public is safer, and there is a reduced tendency to escalate to deadly force.
With police work being so physical, statistics show that even the healthiest of law enforcement professionals are subject to both sudden traumatic injuries and injuries that develop without a specific trauma. In fact most sudden traumatic injuries are actually the result of long-term cumulative trauma. Most traumatic injuries occur doing some activity which the law enforcement officer has done hundreds or thousands of times before. It may even be a minor exertion. Why did an injury occur that day? The answer is because of a symptom-free weakness that developed over time from poor physical habits. The muscle, tendon, ligament or spinal disc becomes fragile, and breaks from an otherwise normal activity.
There are unique forces and situations inherent in law enforcement that logically lead to the disabling injuries that disrupt the quality of many officers’ lives and leave an organization spending millions in work comp and disability costs unnecessarily. This is completely preventable.
Some of the most common issues unique to law enforcement which contribute to these problems, as well as solutions to those problems are presented in this document on page 8.
A program or system is customized to the apprehension and containment techniques, equipment and policies of the department. The activities and subjects covered in this document encompass the specific duties and tasks of police officers while on patrol and in the station that are most commonly encountered by the law enforcement professional.
REDUCING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS
How about the problem of fraud? A large percentage of fraudulent work comp claims are not pure fabrications. They are embellishments of existing symptoms or minor injuries. There is a simple cause and effect. This program will greatly reduce officer discomfort and minor injuries, resulting in a great reduction of fraudulent claims.
PREVENT UNNECESSARY ESCALATION TO DEADLY FORCE
If the suspect resists, the officer may increase the force to counter the resistance. The officer has no duty to retreat as the force escalates, and if the force should ratchet up to the point where the suspect threatens the officer with death or serious bodily harm, the officer may use deadly force to retain custody (LaFave and Scott, sec. 5.10). If an officer is in pain, or if they have an unstable low back and they feel that it may “go out” during an exertion, that officer will be forced to resort to deadly force before an officer who is healthy.
“Deadly force” is defined as “force reasonably capable of causing death or great bodily harm” (Geller and Scott, p. 23); while it obviously includes the discharge of firearms, it may also include the use of choke-holds or even automobiles under some circumstances.
In Parker v. District of Columbia (1988), the court directly addresses police officers’ physical fitness and agencies’ responsibility. In this case, an unfit officer who was not physically able to affect an arrest resorted to the use of deadly force. The court found that the city was negligent due to a pattern of deliberate indifference, inadequate training, discipline, and supervision (Cooper Institute, 2001; Gaines, Falkenberg, & Gambino, 1993; Getz, 1990). There was a multimillion dollar judgment against the city.
The BPS Law Enforcement program will significantly reduce chronic neck, back, knee and arm pain. A pain free police officer or an officer that does not fear the back “going out” is more likely able to physically handle a situation that might otherwise escalate to deadly force.
Comprehensive Action Plan – Easy to Implement and Maintain
Following is the foundation of our law enforcement program. It is customized to fulfill the specific needs of the Department, taking into account procedures, equipment, current programs, scheduling, and fulfilling the needs of management and the employee population. You can implement this program yourself, consider using our company to implement it, or we can work with your training department so they can implement and maintain it.
“I feel better when I use the “Best” techniques, my fellow officers remind me to use it, I am rewarded by my supervisors when I use it, and I am safer when I use it.”
Below are the details of the 3 Steps and the most common causes of physical stress in the police officer as well as solutions
Department Assessment & Program Customization
- First you must determine where you are, what needs to change or improve.
Then you must determine your goals…what changes do you want to take place in the department (Less injuries, Work comp costs and Disability? Better Morale?)
Then you can develop the plan to bridge from where you are to where you want to be. - You must learn the real and perceived needs of management, the police officers, and the city. If all parties feel their needs are being fulfilled, they all support the program and its goals. For example one party may want to reduce work comp costs, another may want to protect the health of the officers, another protect the suspect or the public, and another reduce the number of officers on disability. The same program fulfills all of these needs. By presenting to each party how their concerns are fulfilled, you have cooperation and support.
- Meet with management, Human resources, the union if there is one, officer representatives, different divisions if that is an issue in your city, and the city to finalize what are their real and perceived needs, goals, objectives and the detailed action plan.
- Conduct an evaluation of all departments and job tasks; Assess vehicles and their condition, work habits, tools, equipment (what are departmental guidelines and officer trends for belts, holsters, weapons), and procedures. Learn specific departmental apprehension and containment techniques. We make no changes, but have had great success with other departments developing procedures that make your techniques easier on the officer’s body and maintain high suspect control.
Example: When possible place rear foot lined up with direction of needed power in officers upper body. That leg increases power and stability, therefore safety and control.
- Officer Involvement in Program Development: Officers are highly involved in the development of THEIR program. Evaluation then becomes an on-going process. Once you decide the skills that will be presented in the training, show the officers respect by asking their opinion and getting their ideas. Many departments make the mistake of simply implementing training, and then are dissatisfied with the lack of compliance. People do not like being told what to do. They are more receptive to change if they feel they have some control of their destiny.
They will feel they are being heard and respected even if the suggestions came from a fellow officer and not them personally.
This is done by 1 on 1 interviews, group discussion at roll call, and anonymous surveys. You will get some excellent ideas. Use as many as possible and include in the training informing them that their fellow officers developed much of the program. This is an element of the Behavior Modification training which will influence most of your workforce to embrace new techniques.
Training Classes – Motivational * Experiential * Interactive and Fun!
Officer Training Class
It is easy to get the officers to use good technique when a supervisor is present. This program motivates your workforce to use correct and efficient techniques whether a Supervisor is present or not, both while on duty and at home. What good is it if the officer uses their body correctly on the job, but uses poor technique around the house, doing sports, even in the gym?
There are 2 primary aspects of the training:
TAKE LESS STRESS IN
Each officer customizes their Equipment (Utility belt, Holster, Vehicle, Shoes, Etc.)
Always use the BEST technique at work, home, sports, etc.
GET RID OF THE NORMAL ACCUMULATED STRESS OF LIFE
Perform 3 second stretches throughout the day that instantly reduce pain, tension and weakness.
MOTIVATION TO CHANGE TO HEALTHIER HABITS #1
OFFICERS MUST WILLINGLY CHOOSE TO CHANGE TO HEALTHIER HABITS
The greatest challenge with training law enforcement personnel is getting them to choose to change their habits. This is a frustration in many departments.
You must use behavior modification training techniques. Your officers will actually experience feeling better in the classroom, they will make the decision to use a new habit as opposed to being told to do it, and they will remember to do it, both at work and off duty.
People Are Willing To Change Their Habits If They Think It Is Their Idea!
Work Simulation Obstacle Course: They actually do their job- Using their Tools, Equipment, and Material. For example lifting a suspect from the ground, searching a standing subject, or lifting the tactical bag from vehicle trunk.
- 1st they do it any way they want
- Then they do it a new way.
- We ask which feels better, makes work easier, provides greater control of the suspect
- How will you do it in the future?
They always pick the healthier technique. They are not told it is better or that we want them to do it that way.
But we set up the situation so the new technique feels obviously better, whether that is less stress on the officer’s body or more control of the suspect.
This document on Page 8 describes solutions for several of the most common, expensive injury, disability causing situations common to law enforcement worldwide.
MOTIVATION TO CHANGE TO HEALTHIER HABITS #2
Another necessary aspect of successfully motivating them is each individual must be influenced to believe they will personally benefit from what they are learning.
The bottom line is the most important factor to influence any worker, including police officers, to change their habits is to simply feel better, have less pain and more energy to make work easier and enjoy life outside of work. And the relief must be immediate instant gratification. The factors we find most influential are “If you apply what we are teaching you, you will”:
- Reduce or eliminate pain at work
- Reduce or eliminate pain at home that is residual from work
- Instead of going home exhausted, go home with energy to enjoy family, sports, friends and spouse.
- Surprisingly, the least influential is preventing injury. But it is a hot button for many so it must be included.
This is presented during the training, and as reminders which we will explain later in this document.
STRESS REDUCTION
The officers learn a series of 3-second stretches to be used throughout their day, done while sitting in the vehicle, when they first get out of the vehicle, when on break, and outside of work. Each stretch will relieve a specific discomfort common in law enforcement. They will do them because they bring instant gratification…..they actually feel better.
As they continue to experience less tension, fatigue and discomfort, they will feel so much better that they will do the stretches more often on their own. If the tissues feel better, they are functioning better, there is then less pain and more strength and endurance.
The stretch routine which addresses the areas of the police officers body that most commonly experience stress is included with this book on a laminated card. If you do not have a sample of this stretch card, please contact Best Performance Systems.
Supervisor Training Class
Supervisors learn easy-to-follow, non time demanding, step-by-step skills to effectively motivate and lead their team to work safely and efficiently.They are provided reference manuals with the skills that the officers learned in the training, to remind officers ofergonomics (Utility belt, etc.) and technique that will have them feeling better, performing better, and preventing injury.
They also learn communication skills that increase the likelihood that their advice will be well received. Finally they learn a reminder system that with minimal time, keeps the new skills alive on a daily basis. See Step 4 for these reminder programs.
Supervisors Learn (not limited to):
- Ergonomic set up and adjustments of the Utility Belt/Sam Brown and Holster
- Ergonomic set up and adjustments of the Vehicle, as well as frequent enter and exit.
- Lifting techniques of the many unique situations in Law enforcement (Suspects, unconscious persons, tactical bag from trunk, barricades, etc.)
- Best technique for standing at Post
- Placing suspect in vehicle with seatbelt, preventing bites, spit, head butt.
- Bending to suspect on ground or inventory search
Positive Reinforcement Reminder Programs
These programs are run by supervisors. They require an average of 3-5 minutes per day.Everyone has habits. We want your officers to have healthy habits. This system is designed to influence people to use a good habit as often as possible. After a while, from the sheer frequency of using the new habit, and from actually feeling better, they unconsciously change to healthier habits.
The foundation of our reminder program includes:
A 30-second interactive mini-training at preshift roll call. Each day Supervisors and officers review one law enforcement skill that was part of the original training. We supply a binder with these mini trainings. We prefer this to occur on a daily basis, but it will still be highly effective one or two times per week.
The Kudos Cards Rewards Program. This has been well received by officers in the past. Supervisors reward their officers with a Kudos Card each time they “catch” them using good work habits. That might be a good lift, doing a stretch, an ergonomically set up Utility belt, etc. If Supervisors have to “redirect” employees using “at risk” work habits, they then reward them for being receptive to suggestions. It’s fast – and the benefits are immense. Kudos Cards are turned in at the end of each month to be entered in a monthly raffle. Survey the officers to develop a series of prizes that not only benefit the officers, but their families as well, a key to enhancing a positive work culture. We have had incredible success with inexpensive items, all under $100, like a DVD player, bicycle, I-Pod docking station, sports event tickets, George foreman grille, etc.
There are motivated to want to receive kudos card for 2 reasons.
- It is a complement , for a job well done. Most people only hear from their supervisors when they do something wrong. It is universal human nature that people want to be acknowledged, and that influences them to take action and perform better in the future.
- They want to win the Kudos raffle prize, and the only way to get kudos cards is to be caught doing something good.
Observation Report cards. This voluntary program gives officers the opportunity to be rewarded for promoting correct work behavior in other workers as well as noting conditions that need to be corrected in the environment and equipment. This tool promotes a team attitude within your departmental culture.
Here is how the program works
- Every officer will receive an observation report card monthly
- They can use it or feel free to ignore it.
- To use it, find a situation that needs to be improved, take some action, write on the card what you did, sign it, and turn it in. You will receive 3 kudos cards.
- Turn in as many ORC’s as you want each month. Now you can get as many kudos cards as you want by your own efforts. All you need to do is take some action to improve conditions for you and your fellow workers, and get rewarded for doing it.
Management controls
Kudos cards, Observation report cards, and the sign in sheets for the Roll Call 30 Second Mini Training are evaluated monthly by management. In this way, management knows if the procedures are being done, who is and who is not participating, and action can be taken to improve implementation.
Integration Phase
The Integration Phase is the necessary component for the program to be successful. This is a significant contributory reason Best Performance Systems uniquely has a 100% success rate.
The initial trainings motivate and educate the officers and supervisors. The new learned skills are not yet habitual and it is human nature that what is not consistently applied is soon forgotten. If all levels of your staff do not remember and apply the skills, the training is a waste of your time and resources.
In the 3 months Integration Phase, Best Performance Systems works with the team, stimulating all staff members in many ways to use the safe and efficient skills, to apply the reminder and reward systems… until they become a habit. It will be effectively applied daily and for years.
The Best Performance Systems program is customized to each team. This phase has basic components, but includes an evaluation of the evolving culture and responds to what is going on in the unit.
Basic components of the Integration phase:
- 1-2 one hour meetings with supervisors per month for additional skills and assist with challenges in Ergonomics, officer technique and influencing everyone to embrace new and efficient techniques. (Delegating, motivating, positive communication, coaching, Team Building, Accident investigation, sparking creativity and more)
- Supervisors learn to deliver 30 second pre-shift mini trainings. Delivered 1-5 times per week, each is an interactive reminder of some aspect of the training the workers received. Best Performance Systems assists the supervisor staff to get them confident and competent in the delivery.
- Meet with Supervisors to enhance ability to recognize the activities and situations to reward with a Kudos card
- Meet with officers in pre-shift meetings, get their ideas, complaints and suggestions. Take these and the list from the workshops and meet with management to prioritize and take action on several worker generated ideas. Once done, celebrate the officers whose ideas are used. Best Performance Systems influences your entire staff to be proactive at making positive changes in “their” workplace.
- Attend first 2-3 safety raffles and assist management to maximize the opportunity to train and influence efficiency.
- Best Performance Systems actively works with staff to develop “Ergo Teams”: 2-4 workers with problems or complaints are assisted by a supervisor and several peers to correct technique, ergonomics and apply stretch to eliminate physical stress.
Kaizen Continuous Improvement Program
Best Performance Systems assist in the gradual and continuous long-term improvement of efficiency and safety. We are present for monthly meetings to evaluate, alter as needed, and then re-evaluate the progress and effectiveness.
- Walk-through and attend roll call to answer officer questions, concerns and to listen to their ideas for improvement.
- Meet with Supervisors to problem-solve and to fine-tune the techniques they’ve learned and to teach new performance-enhancing leadership, coaching and team-building skills.
- Meet with Management concerning issues and improvements; review and adjust new systems & procedures; evaluate work processes and how they can be improved; assist with the purchase of new equipment if needed. Evaluate any injuries that have occurred, taking action to prevent similar injuries, and using any injuries to create an awareness campaign department wide to keep an awareness of safe behavior in the officers consciousness.
- Assume an active role in the Safety Committee. We have developed some powerful tools and procedures that can turn any Safety Committee into an effective sub organization which has a profound effect on continually improving conditions for safety and efficiency.
Police Academy Training Program
Successfully reducing injuries and improving performance is enhanced when all personnel are motivated to use the “Best” techniques. Training all new officers supports the goal of a safe and efficient workforce dedicated to the Departments’ principles and educated to use the same safe and efficient procedures and techniques as the current employees. We will influence the majority of your workforce to remind each other to use the best and safest technique. Classes are designed to include recruits, officers who have been promoted or reassigned, and to re-train injured officers returning to work.
Examples of Physical Stress That Contribute to Injury Unique to Law Enforcement and Solutions.
Sitting in an extremely stressful manner, such as in a vehicle wearing a Sam Brown, by itself makes the police officer prone to serious back injury….even without an incident or trauma.
Unique to law enforcement is:
- Police officers spend a great deal of time sitting in a vehicle. There is severe low back stress from the Sam Brown and Equipment, and frequent asymmetrical condition of seats in vehicles
- Stressful sitting, makes the low back discs and muscles temporarily very fragile
- Sitting in the vehicle is often immediately followed by an exertion, sometimes explosive or with high resistance, such as lifting barricades or the Tactical Bag from trunk, or a foot chase and apprehension.
- This otherwise safe exertion causes severe disc or spinal injury because the back is temporarily fragile from stressful sitting.
There is a simple solution to eliminate pain and injury:
- Officers learn to adjust and customize their vehicle and Sam Brown to minimize stress when sitting.
- Officers learn to perform a specific 3 Breath stretch while sitting in the vehicle that reduces the muscle tension and spinal stress from sitting in the vehicle. They will do it because it will instantly reduce low back discomfort….they feel better. In addition the stretch corrects the distortion in the spine which makes the officer prone to a back injury
- Always use the best technique for performing their activities when possible. Officers will learn the technique that is most effective for lifting, pushing, the departmental apprehension and containment techniques, etc.
Sitting with asymmetrical equipment in the low back
Many officers wear one rear handcuff which is off to the side, or worse, a double handcuff, or simply items on the right and left of different shape and size. The resultant asymmetrical pressure in the low back causes muscle tension, disc distortion, and spinal joint inflammation. They hurt and are prone to injury from an innocent action.
SOLUTION: Wear 2 single handcuffs. Place them symmetrically on either side of the back. An excellent option is to attach a single piece of high density foam inside the belt, cut to fit the 2 single cuff cases and the belt between them. The utility belt then functions as a low back support, helping to maintain a healthy spinal curve when sitting which prevents pain and injury.
Fixed holster with gun barrel pushing into seat when sitting
Most police officers carry a 9 mm. Based on their body type, if they have a fixed holster, when sitting the barrel may press into the seat. This pushes their hip up on that side, causing it to tilt the pelvis causing extreme stress in the spine and discs. This makes the officer prone to injury from an otherwise innocent activity. If the police officer has a low waisted type of body, and he or she likes a fixed holster, one can be purchased which sits higher so the barrel does not push into the seat. Safari land and Hoyt have an assortment of holsters which can be placed high or low on the belt. If raising the fixed holster high enough for the barrel to clear the seat is tactically too high for the officer, an option is a floppy holster. They both make a floppy holster which will lie to the side when sitting and not press up. It is specifically designed to not flop around while running.
Another option is a swivel holster. A concern of some officers is that the swivel holster can pop off when climbing over a fence in pursuit. The Hoyt swivel holster is virtually impossible to pop off.
Perform a “Low Back Extension ” or “Knee Pull ”
Hold the stretch for 3 breaths. Perform it every 1-2 hours. It can be done sitting in the vehicle or upon exiting the vehicle. This neutralizes much of the stress in the low back from sitting with a Utility belt. For most police officers, they will feel better instantly. The one that makes you feel better is the correct one for you. If the low back discomfort was from muscle tension, the knee pull makes them feel better. If it was from a spinal distortion, the back extension will make them feel better. This maneuver reduces the chance that a spinal injury will occur during an exertion.
Bending to the ground
Many jobs in Law Enforcement involve bending: Searching or restraining a suspect on the ground, searches, retrieving objects.
If you bend at the trunk with straight legs to perform these tasks you’re prone to back discomfort and back injury because that posture pushes the disc out of place, you may have pain or be pain free but with a fragile easily injured back.
One of the best techniques to protect your back while performing these tasks close to the ground is to kneel on one knee as often as possible. Place the forward foot to provide a wide stable base.
Moving large Heavy or Awkward Objects
Police officers are frequently confronted with emergency situations that require great exertion.
- Position your body so power is from arms & legs, not your back.
- Move in a series of small movements, repositioning each time to use leg power. When you push, have one leg back to provide power.
- Push with your back against the wall for leverage when possible.
- It is always safer to push than pull if you have a choice.
Lifting and guiding handcuffed suspect.
- Problem: Officer lifts subject, then guides to vehicle. Too much back stress
- “Best” technique: Officer has one leg back. Lifts with rear leg power and suspect rises in forward motion with less chance of resistance.
Apprehension
- When possible, place or move rear leg to line up and assist with power exerted by officers upper body.
Reducing the Stress of Standing
Law enforcement officers often are assigned to a post which requires prolonged standing. Standing can cause discomfort and contribute to Foot, Knee, Hip and Back injury.
There is a “Best” way to stand that will minimize stress and discomfort.
4 Principals of Best standing
- Staggered stance
- Knees slightly bent
- 1 foot up on an object when you can.
- Move and change positions often, before you feel discomfort.
First principle is a staggered stance
If your feet are next to each other, there is no support in the front or behind.
Disc pressure studies have shown that leaning forward just a little bit, increased the pressure on the low back discs by 100 pounds per square inch, and that is before doing any lifting.
To feel the difference the staggered stance will make, try the following.
- Stand with your feet next to each other and lean forward. Where do you feel it? In the low back!
- Now stand with a staggered stance and lean forward. You feel it in the forward leg. The weight you feel on the forward leg is the same weight that was in your low back.
The second principle is to stand with your knees slightly bent
When people get tired they tend to lock their legs. This shuts off the muscles and the bones are doing all the work and the muscles are able to relax. But… you also cut off all the shock absorption.
If you were to climb on a chair and jump off with straight legs, your teeth would probably shatter, because there is no shock absorption. Just before you hit the ground you slightly bend your knees, which turns on the shock absorbers, the muscles.
The same principle of a slight bend of the knees will reduce the effect of gravity on your body when standing.
The third principle is to get 1 foot up when you can.
This will put the hips and back in a relaxed posture which is stronger and more comfortable
The fourth principle is to move and change positions often.
If you stay in one position for a prolonged period, all the stress is on one set of joints and muscles. Every time you shift your weight, or change position, this spreads the work around so each set does a little bit of work, and none of them are doing enough work to cause stress and injury.
People tend to wait until they feel some discomfort before they change positions. Discomfort is a tiny injury and if you do this frequently while assigned to a post, these little injuries will add up over a period of months and eventually lead to pain and discomfort which can lead to injury.
So …. Change position before you feel discomfort.
Prevent Foot Pain
A common foot feeling from prolonged standing in some of officers is a sensation in the arch of the foot:
- Tension or cramping
- Fatigue
- Ache or hot sensation
The same things that cause the foot sensations may cause fatigue, tension, and heaviness in the leg and back.
The usual cause of the stress described above is a flat foot. The arch partially decreases when you stand.
The solution to feel better if you have these sensations is simple.
- Buy a soft arch support in a drugstore. Keep them in all of your shoes, both at work, sports and at home.
- Get a golf ball or some small hard round object. Keep it where you eat or sit at home. Spend one minute each day rolling it on the floor with your foot to massage the muscles from the toes to the heel.
- Do the following leg stretches at least 2 times per day
The goal of our program is not to show your officers all they need to do to work more safely and efficiently.
It is to get each individual to believe that they will feel better and personally benefit from improving their work habits…. And to take action
- Preventing only a few serious injuries saves you the cost of our entire program -
Please Contact us to discuss how your department can benefit from this technology. We can assist you to implement yourself, train and support your training department to implement and maintain, or we provide “Turn Key” system of Evaluation, Customization, Implementation & Maintenance
Dr. Barry Carlin Will Speak At Your Local Law Enforcement Presentation: Interactive-Entertaining
“How To” Steps to Eliminate Chronic Pain
& Save Millions in Work Comp Costs
The law-enforcement professional must survive in an environment with the potential of risk and danger. We’re used to thinking of the planning for those situations which present a clear and present danger. These are the obvious risks to health in law enforcement.
But we now know that the greatest source and cause of disabling and painful conditions in Law Enforcement are from small amounts of trauma from incorrect repetitive movements or poor postures over time.
With police work being so physical, statistics show that even the healthiest of law enforcement professionals are subject to both sudden traumatic injuries and injuries that develop without a specific trauma. In fact most sudden traumatic injuries are actually the result of long-term cumulative trauma. Most traumatic injuries occur doing some activity which the law enforcement officer has done hundreds or thousands of times before. Why did an injury occur that time? The answer is because of a symptom-free weakness that developed over time from poor physical habits.
There are unique forces and situations inherent in law enforcement that logically lead to the disabling injuries that disrupt the quality of many officers’ lives and cost an organization millions in work comp and disability costs unnecessarily. This is completely preventable.
The Presentation
An effective Law Enforcement Specific Injury Prevention program will successfully reduce fatigue, physical stress, injuries and Workers’ Compensation costs.
In this entertaining & interactive presentation, participants will learn practical tips they can immediately apply in their organization. They will have the knowledge to either go back and develop and implement a successful program themselves, or will learn how to find resources that deliver a customized “turn key” program.
Every participant will leave feeling significantly better than when they arrived, with the skills and confidence that they will feel better at work.
In this high energy, interactive presentation, participants will learn the five necessary steps, which are simple and non-time demanding to implement and maintain, that will reduce injuries and improve officer performance. The presentation is pure education, not sales. As Dr. Carlin delivers practical information, the audience will laugh and have a good time.
Our unique approach is always embraced by field officers, because they are empowered to feel better; by supervisors because performance improves; by the Human Resources Department because injuries, turnover and work comp costs decrease; and by management because a great deal of money becomes available for other projects.
This presentation is POST Certifiable. It can be tailored to your participants and can be 1-4 hours in length.
The Benefits of This Program
The benefits of the Best Performance Systems Law Enforcement training program:
- Reducing the number of injuries, and the severity of those that do occur
- Reducing temporary and permanent disability
- Cutting the number of light duty and lost work days
- Reducing Workers’ Compensation, direct and indirect medical and disability costs
- Reducing the number of Fraudulent Injury Claims
- An officer with no pain performs better and is less likely to escalate to deadly force
REDUCING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS
How about the problem of fraud? A large percentage of fraudulent work comp claims are not pure fabrications. They are embellishments of existing symptoms or minor injuries. The BPS program will greatly reduce officer discomfort and minor injuries, resulting in a great reduction of fraudulent claims.
PREVENT UNNECESSARY ESCALATION TO DEADLY FORCE
Parker v. District of Columbia (1988), the court directly addresses police officers’ physical fitness and agencies’ responsibility. In this case, an unfit officer who was not physically able to affect an arrest resorted to the use of deadly force. The court found that a pattern of deliberate indifference inadequate training, discipline, and supervision existed (Cooper Institute, 2001; Gaines, Falkenberg, & Gambino, 1993; Getz, 1990).
There was a multimillion dollar judgment against the city.
The BPS Law Enforcement program will significantly reduce chronic neck, back, knee and arm pain. A pain free police officer is more likely able to physically handle a situation that might otherwise escalate to deadly force.
About The Speaker
Dr. Barry Carlin, President of BPS, has been a leader in injury prevention and performance enhancement programs since 1987. Dr. Carlin’s methods were influenced by his postgraduate studies in Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation, Osteopathy, Orthopedics, Athletic Training, Behavior Modification, Accelerated Learning, Biomechanics and Ergonomics. He began his career treating injuries, and has spent the last 14 years applying his expertise to the everyday workplace and Law Enforcement. Dr. Carlin has trained hundreds of organizations throughout the U.S. Canada, Europe and Asia. He takes what could be a complicated and boring subject and makes it interesting, practical and a laughter filled enjoyable experience. He has presented to the California Association of Chiefs of Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The #1 CAUSE OF OFFICER PAIN, EXPENSIVE INJURY & PERMANENT DISABILITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
“Sitting in a vehicle wearing Utility Belt, followed by sudden exertion such as sprint and apprehension results in injured low back disc”
Most injuries occur doing something the officer has done 1000 times before…Why did they get injured that day?
THE PROBLEM
Most Police Officers have Low Back Disc Weakness & Muscle Tension Caused By:
- Years of Sitting with a poorly organized Sam Brown/Utility Belt
- Frequent improper bending to suspects, items on the ground or during searches
These Postures & Activities, If They Cause Discomfort Or Not, Make The Back Fragile And Prone To Disc Herniation From An Otherwise Innocent Lift Or Activity.
THE SOLUTION
- Ergonomically customize the Utility Belt
Asymmetrical equipment in the rear of the utility belt causes low back stress when sitting Symmetrical equipment reduces stress and functions as a low back support
Example: Many officers wear 2 single handcuffs symmetrically in the low back.Some mount foam inside the belt and the handcuffs so the Utility Belt supportsthe natural curve and reduces low back stress.
Holster Issues: If holster is fixed, and gun pushes into seat when sitting, this causes tipped pelvis and fragile low back. - Perform a 3 second “Low Back Extension” or “Knee Pull” every hour sitting in the vehicle or upon exiting. This simple maneuver increases back stability and decreases pain.
Perform the one that eliminates your pain.
Change holster to high placed fixed, floppy or swivel
- Learn the best technique for apprehension, containment, bending to suspects, or during searches.
Best Bending Technique:
- Get down on one knee to a suspect or any ground work.
Lifting and guiding handcuffed suspect
- Problem: Officer lifts subject, then guides to vehicle. Too much back stress.
- “Best” technique: officer has one leg back. Lifts with rear leg power and suspect rises in forward motion with less chance of resistance.
Aprehension
- When possible, place or move rear leg to line up and assist with power exerted by officers upper body.