It’s time for all law enforcement agencies to modify physical fitness training to meet the challenges of the vertical mile.
A firsthand experience: The Atlanta day trading firm shootings
On July 29, 1999, Mark Barton shot and killed 13 people at two different day trading firms in Atlanta, Georgia, in two different buildings. Many first responders arrived at the scene; I was one of them.
For tactical and safety reasons, officers on the scene had to climb the stairs of both buildings. Officers tactically moved floor by floor, room by room, cubicle by cubicle, searching for the shooter and evacuating the buildings of citizens. As I stood at the top of the stairs in one building, drenched in sweat, I clearly understood why the Atlanta Police Department placed a great focus on physical fitness as part of its training curriculum. However, revelatory as it was, we still had work to do.
Reevaluating physical training programs
This event allowed our academy training cadre to re-evaluate the purpose of our physical training program and make beneficial adjustments. Where once core strength exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc., were the focus, the training was modified to promote endurance.
We incorporated real-life obstacles in a reality-based obstacle course. Instead of lifting weights, we pushed our patrol cars onto the streets to simulate creating emergency barricades. We climbed through windows and over fences and walls, ran through tunnels and simulated crawling under buildings. We incorporated officer/citizen down rescue techniques. We even took the trainees to our local stadium to climb the stairs over and over until we were all exhausted.
The vertical challenge in urban policing
Inner cities all over the country are experiencing rapid growth. Most of that growth is vertical. The JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston is 75 floors, Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles is 73 floors, Columbia Center in Seattle is 76 floors and the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta has 73 floors. To sum it up, our mile stretches toward the sky more so than down the road.
It may be true that officers may not have to run a mile in the course of their duty, but climbing the stairs during a crisis may call for an equivalent amount of endurance, confidence and discipline. Most of our cities have at least one vertical obstacle that will take an incredible amount of willpower and endurance to navigate in a crisis — yet as first responders, we must. It’s time for all law enforcement agencies to modify physical fitness training to meet the challenges of the vertical mile. The modifications Atlanta PD made are a good place to start.
Planning for the future: Avoiding negligence
I would argue that failing to plan for this eventuality is negligence. Physical fitness training is not designed to measure specific agility, but to build endurance, confidence and discipline. Periodic physical fitness testing is appropriate as a tool to measure accountability and readiness. I would argue that any agency that fails to prepare or fails to hold officers accountable to a standard of fitness is preparing to fail their community. In a crisis, it’s critically important that the person wearing the gun belt operates as effectively and efficiently as the tools on the belt. Both are equally valuable to a successful outcome. Again, officers will only rise to the level of their training.
Reflections on 9/11: The ultimate vertical mile
When I was in New York several months ago, I had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum. I was overwhelmed emotionally as I reflected upon the amount of physical and emotional stress the first responders endured as they tackled the ultimate vertical mile. I can only imagine the amount of personal willpower and endurance that was called to task on that day.
As I stood there, taking it all in, both visually and emotionally, I trembled. I was confident in one thing: if first responders are serious about meeting the challenges to come, in the centuries to come, physical endurance must be a priority. No matter what skill set or professional discipline one has mastered, it will fall apart at exhaustion. This is not a theory; it is a fact.
Training for the vertical mile
Negotiating a large number of stairs or what I call the vertical mile will call to task the larger muscle groups in the body: abdominals, glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps, as well as the hip flexors and calf muscles. Possessing a considerable amount of strength in these muscles is not essential. Strength equals power and is primarily used to push, pull and lift. Strength is great to have but for climbing stairs it’s neutral, neither a pro nor con. Endurance is essential. Being able to lift and lower your lower extremities in repetition for a sustained period requires endurance. Integrating cardio and high-intensity exercises with reduced rest periods builds endurance. This quick workout routine is a great place to start.
1. Warm up.
Always begin by walking at a brisk pace for 2 minutes. Wake the body up! I consider this mandatory before starting any stretching routine or exercise.
2. Stretch every muscle in the lower body, holding each for 30 seconds.
- Quad stretch: Lay on your right side. Bend your left knee behind you and grab it with your left hand.
- Hamstring stretch: With your feet flat on the ground, bend over at the waist. Stretch as far as possible. The goal is to touch your toes.
- Calf raises: Standing with hands above your head, raise your heel off the ground.
3. Body squats: 4 sets, 10 to 20 repetitions, with 45 seconds rest between sets.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, arms out in front of you and parallel to the ground, lower your buttock toward the ground, stand and repeat.
4. Standing knee raise: 4 sets, 10 to 20 repetitions, with 45 seconds rest between sets.
Standing with your feet approximately shoulder width apart, arms out in front of you and parallel to the ground, lift and raise your right knee toward your left hand, lower your right knee and return to a standing position. Now lift and raise your left knee toward your right hand, lower your left knee and return to a standing position. This is considered 1 repetition.
Now is the fun part! It’s time to get out in and put in some work. Find a place that has some structurally safe stairs. They are in places you never thought to look. Find them and start climbing! The number of stairs is not important, it’s the repetitions that count, so climb, repeat, repeat and repeat!
This is not the time to be casual. Train with intensity! Remember who you are and why you’re training. Practice taking two steps at a time. This might appear more difficult, but it takes less energy.
I recommend incorporating this quick routine into your regular fitness training once a week until you notice a significant change as the exercises become less difficult and your endurance significantly improves. Remember, larger muscle groups require a longer recovery period than smaller groups. The ideal goal is to train for the vertical mile twice a week.
A legacy of readiness
Although I am still actively teaching at the Atlanta Police Academy and other agencies across the country, I officially retired from the Atlanta Police Department in 2019 after 30 years of service. Instead of a retirement party, I asked any officer willing to run a mile with me one last time to show up — and they did in large numbers. If I was going to be remembered, I wanted it to be for the example and standard of discipline it took to remain physically ready for 30 years.
As the prolific saying goes, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready!”
