Physical Abilities Test Required to Become a Reserve Deputy Sheriff

Orange County
Image: ocso.com

Partnering with his wife, Dr. Jorge Galindo began his private practice as a marriage, family, and child therapist in 2000. In addition to working as a therapist, Dr. Jorge Galindo is an academy-trained reserve deputy sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

To become a reserve deputy sheriff in Orange County, volunteers receive rigorous training, including a physical abilities test (PAT). The test, which is both timed and scored, consists of four events designed to mimic the physical demands that might be required of a deputy sheriff on the job.

The events in the PAT include a strenuous obstacle course, which incorporates hurdles, running, balance beam, sit-ups, and push-ups. The other three events consist of a 440-yard flat run, a pass-fail semiautomatic weapon trigger-pull challenge, and a dummy drag that involves dragging a dummy weighing 165 pounds for 15 feet.

The PAT is a requirement to become a reserve deputy sheriff, however, if a candidate fails the test, he or she may be retested at a later time.

The NOVA Academy in Santa Ana, California

NOVA Academy
Image: nova-academy.org

A licensed marriage, family, and child therapist, Dr. Jorge Galindo shares with his wife a practice in Irvine, California. Prior to starting his private practice, Dr. Jorge Galindo worked at Olive Crest Residential Centers.

Olive Crest offers multiple programs and client services, including a charter school called NOVA Academy. Working with the Santa Ana Unified School District and Santa Ana College, NOVA Academy offers students in grades 9 through 12 both high school and college credits.

A small charter school, NOVA serves 400 students. The school’s curriculum aims to empower students, helping to develop their pride and ability to be self-sufficient. Many of the students come from low-income or otherwise challenging backgrounds.

Teachers focus on providing one-on-one instruction and preparing students for standardized tests. This strategy has proven effective as Academic Performance Index (API) scores steadily improved between 2008 and 2013. In 2013, over 85 percent of the sophomores passed both the math and English sections of the California High School Exit Exam.