MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2011 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Davis, Baria, Butler (38th), Clarke, Dearing, Fillingane, Frazier, Hewes, Hopson, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jones, King, Kirby, Lee (35th), Stone, Wilemon
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY PATROL FITNESS TEAM FOR ITS RECORD-BREAKING EFFORT IN WINNING A 3-PEAT: ITS THIRD CONSECUTIVE NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY FITNESS "LAWFIT CHALLENGE."
WHEREAS, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and with the mandate of homeland security in the United States, the health and fitness of law enforcement personnel is more important than ever. Officers are called upon to perform increasingly diverse duties in support of the military and national security personnel. A high level of fitness can be the key to both officer and citizen survival. With this in mind, the National Center for Public Safety Fitness has established the Lawfit Challenge to recognize those State Troopers and Highway Patrol Officers who have proven that they are fit to serve. The National Center for Public Safety Fitness invited all law enforcement agencies to send their most fit officers to compete in the Seventh Annual Lawfit Challenge. This event was held October 14, 15 and 16, 2010, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The event included four-person teams, pairs and individual competitors; and
WHEREAS, the Lawfit Challenge consists of a series of six fitness and job-related competitive events: (1) one repetition maximum bench press (based on a percentage of body weight); (2) one minute timed sit-up test; (3) sit and reach flexibility test; (4) pull-ups; (5) 200 yards agility course (series of work performance obstacles); and (6) 1.5-mile run. These tests have been found to be good predictors of an officer's fitness for duty. Awards were given to the top five male and female competitors as well as the top three teams. Individual event winners were also recognized; and
WHEREAS, hundreds of law enforcement officers, from around the country, were invited to the competition. They competed for three days, and after the final event, it was the team from the Mississippi Highway Patrol taking top honors again. This is the first time in the history of the competition that a team was able to 3-peat as National Champions:
· The stage for this year's event was set when the 3-time National Champions from the Mississippi Highway Patrol arrived. This year's MHP Team was seeking their fourth National Title and accomplished a feat that no team has ever done, win 3 straight;
· The four-man team of Lt. Thomas Tuggle (Hernando), Msgt. John Perkins (Meridian), Msgt. Marcus Colley (Moss Point) and Major Houston Dorr (Pass Christian) won the Four-Man category and set a new National Record for points by a four-man team;
· The team of Lt. Tuggle and Msgt. Perkins won the Two-Man category and set a new National Record for points by a two-man team. Old Record/New Record-766/769. Their teammates, Major Dorr and Msgt. Colley, took second place;
· Msgt. Perkins won the Pull-up Competition with 42 pull-ups, followed by Msgt. Colley and Lt. Tuggle. They averaged 34 pull-ups per man this year, just short of their last year's record average of 36 per man. The team's average age was 43, which made them the oldest team competing. Their average Mile and a Half time was 10 minutes and 10 seconds. They also averaged 56 sit-ups in one minute as a team. Each member averaged over 300 pounds on the Bench Press, with one member just short of 400 pounds;
· MHP won four of the top 5 overall individual awards, Msgt. Perkins winning the top individual male. Finishing second was Lt. Tuggle, and fellow team members Msgt. Colley and Major Dorr finishing fourth and fifth, respectively; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Dave Bever, Director of the LawFit Foundation, stated that this year's Mississippi Highway Patrol's Fitness Team will go down in the history books as the greatest LawFit Challenge team ever; and
WHEREAS, Team Captain Thomas Tuggle is convinced that next year's team will be even better. "We learned a very valuable lesson from our disappointing loss in 2007. We will never allow complacency to defeat us again. We know how to win, we have the discipline, but more importantly, we have the knowledge to understand that youthfulness and athleticism will never outperform wisdom and experience. The right attitude will always determine your attitude"; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize these professional law enforcement officers whose stamina and dedication to duty has brought honor to the Mississippi Highway Patrol and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the Mississippi Highway Patrol Fitness Team for its record-breaking effort in winning the 2010 National Center for Public Safety Fitness Seventh Annual "Lawfit Challenge," its fourth overall third consecutive championship, and extend our congratulations and best wishes to this team as they represent our state in future competitions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Lt. Thomas Tuggle, Msgt. John Perkins, Msgt. Marcus Colley and Major Houston Dorr, Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson and Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer's Training Academy Director Lt. Colonel (Retd) Pat Cronin for the command staff of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.