SCREENING PROCESSES FOR MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, RESCUE UNITS, FIRST RESPONDERS, OTHERS - PART I

Disclaimer: The content provided by Dr. Moran Sciamama-Saghiv on physical screening for military, law enforcement, and similar professions is intended solely for educational and informational purposes. It does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice, nor does it establish any professional relationship. Readers must obtain proper medical clearance and institutional authorization before applying any information. Dr. Sciamama-Saghiv disclaims all liability for injury, loss, or misuse of the material.

I am Dr. Moran Sciamama-Saghiv, ex-Army officer and an expert of many years on screening processes (especially yet not limited to military with an emphasis on special forces; physical aspects). I offer consultation services and a variety of lectures related to the Israeli military. I would be happy to collaborate with you (if and when relevant).In the meanwhile, I invite you to read my five blog post series on the screening processes for military, law enforcement, rescue units, first responders, etc.

Let me ask you the $1,000,000 question: "If you had to narrow down who should be accepted into the unit/team, based on three traits/abilities, and no more; what would they be?" - read the entire blog post series, and find out...cheers!

Since creating and sharing a meta-analysis about such a complex and multifactorial process such as the screening for military, law enforcement, rescue units, first responders, and others is a massive undertaking, this will be a series of blog posts, that continue each other in chronological order.

One might think based that physicality is the main or only component of a physically-based screening process. Yet, the truth should not and cannot be further than the truth, if and when done correctly. Physically-based screening processes are very common where physical abilities and fitness are tools commonly used to achieve the goals of the team, unit, etc. Stand-out examples including Army, Navy, and Air-Force screening processes, law enforcement, some of the first responder jobs, and rescue units for remote or challenging locations and environments.

Military Special Forces Soldiers

The truth of the matter is that, the physical part should "serve" the needs and/or will to evaluate personality traits evermore than the physical abilities themselves. The logic behind this statement and way of thinking is that it is relatively easier to improve a person's/cadet's/trainee's fitness, than to develop personality traits and cognitive abilities they don't have. Thus, while we use the physical aspects as one of the main pillars of such screening processes, the physicality is meant more to evoke psychological, value-based, moral, and ethical challenges.

Fire fighters

A physically-based screening process is best structured upon three main pillars:

1. Identifying the needs of the unit/team.

2. "Translating" the needs identified into a trait combination required to serve in such a team/unit or a specific position on the team or in the unit. In other words, "a profile".

3. The screening process itself.

   
   

Let us elaborate on what each one includes, and why:

The Team/Unit's Needs:

Teams/units exist or are established to successfully achieve defined goals, though the goals can change over time, or undergo "fine-tuning". Furthermore, teams and units may find themselves in need of developing abilities and capacities that are new and challenging, thus changing what they need. In turn, these needs define the combination of traits required of an individual in order to successfully serve on the team or in the unit. The team or unit should have an understanding of at least one "persona" of who is the person that successfully serve on the team or in the unit. Please note the distinction between "a team" and "a unit" since one unit can include multiple teams that do not necessarily have the same goals, thus might required a different combination of traits in order to serve on the team. The main driving force of what a team or unit should be looking for is its missions and the nature of these missions.

A Rescue Unit

Register for FREE and get notified every time a new post is added to KIIP by Dr. Saghiv's website. Stay updated all the time with added blog posts about health, wellness, kinesiology, talent acquisition, job seeking, leadership, military service, and more.

Join for Free!

Pumpy & Pumpina children's book by Dr. Moran Sciamama Saghiv. Meant for children ages 2-5.

Services by Dr. Moran Sciamama-Saghiv:

• Lectures, seminars, webinars, and workshops.

• Student college success consulting.

• Job seeking and talent acquisition consulting.

• Academic institution success consulting.

• Physical screening processes consulting.

• Expert opinion - written, via video, in-person, court testimony

Tags associated with this blog post include:

military training, law enforcement, rescue operations, first responders, tactical gear, combat readiness, special forces, counterterrorism, homeland security, border patrol, police units, fire department, paramedics, emergency medical services, disaster relief, crisis response, search and rescue, military tactics, SWAT team, defense forces, national guard, army rangers, navy seals, coast guard, air force, marines, peacekeeping missions, riot control, crowd management, protective services, K9 units, hostage rescue, urban warfare, cyber defense, intelligence operations, surveillance systems, command and control, mission planning, operational readiness, rapid deployment, humanitarian aid, emergency response teams, firefighter training, hazmat units, bomb disposal, EOD units, medical evacuation, field hospitals, casualty care, tactical medicine, active duty, reserve forces, veterans support, homeland defense, protective gear, ballistic protection, armored vehicles, military strategy, law enforcement training, disaster preparedness, mass casualty response, community policing, critical incident management, incident command system, firefighting equipment, emergency drills, tactical operations, anti-smuggling units, narcotics enforcement, crime prevention, forensic units, traffic control, security checkpoints, border security, peacekeeping forces, relief operations, combat engineers, evacuation protocols, emergency shelters, public safety, crisis communication, interoperability, mutual aid, civil defense, air rescue, water rescue, mountain rescue, survival training, situational awareness, chain of command, operational security, threat assessment, risk management, protective intelligence, officer safety, emergency dispatch, communications systems, emergency coordination, resilience training, field operations, emergency logistics, lifesaving interventions.