Cranberry police tested with fitness program
It was test time this week for Cranberry Township police officers taking part in the department's new fitness program, Elite Police FIT.
Officers were assessed by Darnell Dinkins, owner of E.T.H.I.C. Training in Cranberry and former NFL tight end, in six areas on Monday and Wednesday morning to see how they measured up after several months of training.
They started with a 300 meter dash and 1.5 mile run at Mars Area High School track. Then they moved indoors to the municipal building's gym and completed one-rep max bench press and leg press and did as many sit-ups and push-ups as they could in one minute.
Officers encouraged each other as they each took their turn on the bench, the inverted leg press and the floor during the assessments Wednesday morning.
“I like that it gets guys thinking more about their fitness” said township Police Chief Kevin Meyer. “We lead sedentary lives behind the wheel of a car or behind a desk. Guys need to think about their health.”
Elite Police FIT kicked off in December after about a year of planning. It is the brainchild of Meyer and Officer Rob Capezio, who wanted to promote fitness and wellness in the force.
The goal is to improve health, reduce injury and increase job readiness. About half of the officers are participating in the voluntary program.
“If we're not in shape, we're doing a disservice to the citizens we serve,” Capezio said. “We can go from a slow day to a stressful situation in minutes, and it helps to be conditioned.”
