7/19/03

I spent the morning working the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge.

EVENT 1: High Rise Pack Carry. They have to run up stairs carrying a 45-lb. hose bundle.
EVENT 2: Hose Hoist. A 45-LB donut roll of large diameter hose hoisted by rope up a tower.
EVENT 3: Forcible Entry. Utilizes the Keiser Force Machineª (a chopping simulator) and a 9-lb. shot mallet.
EVENT 4: Hose Advance. Traveling 140-ft. competitor carries a charged hose opens the nozzle, hits a target.
EVENT 5: Victim Rescue. A 175-lb. Simulaids, Inc., Rescue Randy¨ mannequin must be dragged backwards a distance of 100-ft.

These events typically take place during the agility tests firefighters must pass in order to qualify to become a part of company. In order to qualify most firefighters complete these events in under six minutes. During the Combat Challenge they do it in under two minutes.

Did I mention they have to run the course in full turnout gear while sucking air through a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)? Well, they do. . .

After I worked my shift in the vendor's tent I watched the Individual Women's Challenge. These women were trying to complete the course in under three minutes so they could make it to the world championships in Ottawa later this year. I watched four women run the course. The first three did not complete the course. It was event five that knocked them out of the competition. That damn 175-lb. dummy was just too much for them to manage without risking hallucinations of a crowd full of chubby little demons trying to suffocate them with Saran Wrap.

They tried, though. You could tell they were willing to bleed out the eyes to get that mannequin across the finish line. But these are professionals and they know when enough is enough. As soon as the competitors signaled volunteers would rip the SCBAs off the firefighters' heads. I saw their red faces obscured by mouths open as wide as possible in an attempt to suck in enough air to keep the little Saran Wrap demons from showing up.

One of the women I watched finished the course. It was her first competition. She finished in under three minutes. She's going to the World Championships, if she wants to. After watching three people try so hard and fail, I wanted to run up and place a laurel on her head and offer to service her in anyway she desired. Then she took her SCBA mask off and I thought I'd just give her a laurel and leave it at that.

When I got home I told Deb and Allie about the event and Allie seemed interested in see the firefighters. "Will there be police there too?" she asked. I'm not quite sure why she was interested in a police presence. Maybe it was a matter of some security concerns she had. I could have told her that there were a few National Guardsmen there, too but I think she felt one or two uniformed units would be sufficient.

This time we watched the men compete. These guys were huge. Big, tattooed behemoths walking around in black rubber boots and not much else. Attached to each hunk of fire extinguishing manmeat was a skinny, large-breasted woman sporting the same tribal armbands their boyfriends tattooed on their biceps. They were all shouting things like, "Booyah!" or "This ain't practice! It's all you! Kick some ass!" from the sidelines. One guy even had his own bullhorn. He was one of the larger, more heavily tattooed, revealingly scarred participants. For some reason the show organizers didn't have much of a problem with him drowning out the event's announcer every now and again.

Allie was interested in the spectacle until her ice cream ran out. Then it was time to go home.

I should have some photos to post in the next few days. Keep checking.

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