Eastside

Hey there,
I'm a DC with the Met police and am one of the few applying to the EPS and travelling over for my battery of tests in mid OCT 06.

I'm wondering if anyone would like to jump in and start a support group( i cant think of a better term) for applicants. Its a long and tough process as we all know and there's only so much I can bounce off the missus about it. Ive personally told only one person in work about this. I dont want anything spreading as I can see our SMT saying "Hey he wants to leave, give him the crap posts!".

So I'm wondering if anyone would like to chat about their fitness prep for the tests, if they've started to write/compose competency answers for the interviews, anyone wondering what the hell is done in a polygraph test or whats asked?? Or if anyone else has been and gone and been successful(congrats to Ralstne and Jaycee) or who's waiting for a reply and how long has it been so far?

Most of all anyone travelling at the same time in OCT and fancies a meet out there, beer and bison burgers all around

Anyone with any ideas please jump in..

respecttradition

Nice idea!

I sat all the tests for EPS in March and I am still waiting for the background checks to be completed. This is not a quick process!

Eastside

5 months and counting eh?

Thats not too bad, my security check for the Met took a year and a half to do...now that was annoying!!

Well we appear to be pretty thin on the support so far, What did you do to prepare for the physical?? And how did you find recruitment to deal with??

respecttradition

I started with a carb curfew diet to shed a few comfort pounds, basically no carbs after 5pm, it was hard but it worked. I trained 4 times a week, aerobically and weights every other day with a 3 day rest period. For the aerobic side I did interval training on a bike - 24mins with 4 min warm up then pedal as fast as you can for 1 min followed by steady pace for 1 min followed by as fast as you can for one min, repeat til the end of the time and a 2 min cool down. Then I did 25 mins on a cross trainer, again doing intervals and 10 mins on a rower. I just did basic reps on the weights - light medium heavy light and so on. Oh yeah and I bought a chin bar which was invaluable. The physical test is tough but it is easily achievable with a bit of dedication. The assault course is the worst bit because your legs go half way around and its just the adrenaline rush that sees you through. The rest of the process is pretty straight forward if you prepare. Don't worry about the polygraph its not too bad, but nothing like you see on Trisha, its far more intense!

Eastside

Its never good to read about carb comfort diets when you've just noshed a pepperoni pizza with your missus....
Hmmmm thankfully still a few months off....

Ive been following WWW.CROSS FIT.COM for workout inspiration, i haven't been following the routines exactly, more just adapting them to try and cover the intensity they recommend, but covering the exercises needed for the EPS.

How was the panel interview? Reckon it would help saying you've done a ride along?? I did two with two of the areas, and i have to say it was ridiculously quiet. But the lads were good as gold and its one of those things isn't it. Either mental or boring...

ann m

Not that this site isn't good, because it is (!) - but please also have a look at police.forum.com - tons of chat on there ref Edmonton and guys that have recently done, or are doing the tests - and some that have just moved out there.

Happy training !!

Eastside

Training sucks...really...............really feel like Im getting nowhere

Aside my moans, Ann can you email me or post that website address again or link again, I cant get through to it??

Bear in mind Im technically inept....

Jayzee

hg Thanks for the congratulations! I start my training in a few weeks and I am on my pre-hire at the moment.

As a DC myself I can fully sympathise with your situation and it will be a change for you no doubt about that! If you are interested in a meet up in october or a chat drop me a PM and I will give you my contact details.

Just for the record, it is currently 2015hrs and the sun is still gloriously shining!

ann m

Eastside

Sorry - my last entry ref the web address had a typo !
Try again.
It is www.************.com
You will find loads of stuff about Edmonton from a few of the people who have done all the tests / are doing the tests / have decided against going / have already joined / are still planning to join. Interesting viewing, and it will make sure you don't have easy access to any rose-tinted glasses !!!

ann m

Oh look - it won't let me type that !!
PM me !!

ann m

Or better still, just replace my dot for a dash between the words police and forum !!!

Eastside

Thanks for the help, Ive just registered for the oppo forum, and awaiting my email to have a good browse.
J, whats Prehire like?? Ive been told its basically you're thrown into the station office?? Is this true??

Jayzee

Nope it's not. Quite a few of the local pre-hire guys are at the front counter doig the ol' "meet and greet" bit, but then you do get to deal with the ground-level aspects of the job that way. Another UK applicant, Tony, is in forensic identification and I am based in Hit and Run where I am basically examining files for lines of enquiry, making calls and carrying a couple of cases for further enquiry. The only thing I cannot do is actually stick people on for whatever transgression has occured.

EPS do look after you and give you as much support as you need. It is also a good way to get used to the protocol of interracting with other officers and members of staff. If you are sucessful I strongly recommend setting up a pre-hire.

respecttradition

For anyone interested the link below takes you to a photograph of Edmonton Police Headquarters, where all the testing takes place.

http://britishexpats.com/photopost/s...cat=519&page=1

Elli and Paul

Hi, I am a police sergeant in Kent and have been in the job for 12 years when I saw the advert last year in the police review and decided to apply. My family and I went in November to check we liked it and as we fell in love with St Albert and Canada I took the decision to continue. So I went over on my own at the end of March 2006 and passed the tests. I gave myself 4 days in Edmonton prior to the physical to acclimatise which worked for me, the physical is hard but passable if you have trained for it, after that it is a roller coaster of day by day tests.
The interview is easy going they were very nice and helpful making sure you are going the right way and made you very relaxed. It lasts about 1 hr and is purely competency based, I suggest looking at the competencies and have 2 or 3 examples from worklife, private life and hobbies and they like volunteer examples.
The polygraph was very daunting and certainly an experience, they start by going through your disclosure interview which takes 1 to 2 hrs then they strap you to the machine. It starts by picking a number and then lying about which one it is, they then ask 15 questions and you can only say yes or no they start with easy ones like "are you in Edmonton" they then progress and ask ones like " is there anything you have not disclosed about theft" etc. They then ask the same questions and you have to answer using the last word then yes or no "e.g theft no". They then ask if there is anything you want to disclose, this is off putting as your first thought is what has come up, they then finish with the same 15 questions as the first time just by y or n. Be totally honest and you will be fine. The medical is straight forward and the psychometrics are boring.
After they are all done and you go home the long frustrating wait starts, there was very little contact it was 2 months before they began the background ring round which then took two weeks then more wait for 2 weeks before the final call saying I had a job.
PNP paperwork only took 3 weeks and now we are waiting for the CHC in London to send us for medicals, we are hoping to get there for the Jan 07 intake.

Good Luck and if I can help more let me know.
Paul