Conservation Officer Service Armorial BearingConservation Officer Service

 

Pre-Employment Physical Abilities Test for Conservation Officers (PATCO)

Strength Tasks

Since Conservation Officers often work alone, they are required to individually lift and carry loads of varying weight, size, shape and length. Some more common, physically demanding strength tasks include:

  • dragging and lifting an animal carcass
  • loading/unloading a car-top boat
  • carrying an outboard motor
  • freeing a stuck ATV or snowmobile
  • carrying a portable winch

In order to safely perform any of the above tasks, a CO must have an adequate level of overall body strength to lift, carry, and transfer loads from varying heights. Even though officers use common sense, assistive tools, and gravity to their advantage, adequate levels of strength are still required to safely and competently move strenuous loads.

The pass score has been set at “completion” for each of the PATCO strength tasks. While the participant determines the speed or pace of their movement, completion requires continuous movement once the task is initiated. For example, placing the motor down on the ground once the task has begun or stopping to rest during the carcass drag, snowmobile transfer or boat transfer constitutes a failure. Applicants have a minimum of three minutes rest between each strength test.

  1. Car-top Boat Transfer – Participants must lift and carry the bow of a 3.6 m (12 ft) aluminum boat, laying face up on the ground, in a 90 ° arc. The individual must then lift the bow, hand over hand along the bottom of the boat, in order to raise it into a vertical resting position against a fence, wall, or side of a truck. In a controlled manner, the boat is returned to its starting position.
  2. Motor Lift and Carry - Participants must lift an outboard motor (77lbs) from the back of a pick-up truck, carry it a distance of 12.2 m (40 ft), place it on a motor stand, and then safely return it to the vehicle.
  3. Carcass Drag – Participants must drag a simulated, 125lbs animal carcass 23 m (75 ft) to a culvert trap, load the carcass completely into the trap, then unload and return the animal to its starting point.
  4. Snowmobile Transfer - By lifting/shifting the front or back end, participants must rotate a “stuck" snowmobile 180° in one direction and then back 180° to the starting position.
Strength Completion Tasks: Car-top Boat Transfer and Motor Lift and Carry

See PATCO - Strength Completion Tasks Diagram [pdf]