Heart Rate Response And Recovery In Law Enforcement Officers During Active Threat Training

When law enforcement officers (LEOs) are dispatched to an active threat, their acute stress response prepares their bodies for action. LEOs must operate effectively, which is partially dependent on their heart rate (HR) recovery after stress. Active threat training is conducted to teach LEOs appropriate threat responses; however, the influence of previous work experience on HR response and recovery is unclear. PURPOSE: This study aimed to quantity the influence of law enforcement and military work experience on HR response and recovery during active threat training for LEOs. METHODS: Thirteen LEOs (4 females, 9 males; age = 36.2 ± 7.4 years; BMI = 29.5 ± 4.4) were recruited during their department’s annual active threat training. Participants completed an informed consent, work history questionnaire, and had a HR monitor placed on their chest. HR response was measured as the maximum HR reached during training (HRmax). HR recovery was calculated as the difference between HR when the threat was arrested and HR at 1 (HR1), 5 (HR5), and 10 minutes (HR10) after the arrest. Multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate the influence of law enforcement or military service with the HR outcomes (α-level = 0.05). Sex, age, and body mass index were included as covariates. RESULTS: Participants were LEOs for 7.2 ± 4.9 years, and three participants had previous military service. The 4 regression models were not significant (p > 0.05), but HR1, HR5, and HR10 each accounted for large proportions of the variance (R2 = 0.67, p = 0.15; R2 = 0.76, p = 0.065; R2 = 0.71, p = 0.114, respectively). At HR1 and HR5, previous military service was associated with worse recovery (4.79 ± 2.37 bpm, p = 0.09; and 14.61 ± 4.66 bpm, p = 0.02, respectively). At HR10, each additional year of law enforcement employment equated to 2.39 ± 0.88 bpm better recovery (p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: With an active threat, neither military nor law enforcement experience affect the magnitude of peak stress response. After the threat was arrested, LEOs were required to control the scene (e.g., escort paramedics, transport the threat). LEOs with previous military service took more active roles in controlling the scene, which describes their slower recovery. Alternatively, LEOs with more law enforcement experience may have a command and communication role, allowing for faster recovery.