Five firefighters from Thompson Fire & Emergency Services competed at the Scott Firefit Championships regional event in Edson, Alberta Aug. 24-25, with one earning a medal and two finishing in the top 20 from over 150 competitors.
Rachelle Daniel, the one female competitor from Thompson, completed the course in 3:10, which earned her a third place medal. Two veterans of the competition, Ryan Chigol and Darrick Graff, were 12th and 18th overall, running the course in 1:28 and 1:31 respectively.
The other two competitors from Thompson were Eric Olafson and Josh Baumung, who both finished the course in 1:58.
"They say if you can run anywhere around the two minute mark your first time, that's pretty good, so they were happy with that," said Graff.
Racers complete the course in their helmet, boots, a firefighting jacket and pants, as well as a self-contained breathing apparatus.
They run up six flights of 10 stairs carrying a 42-pound hose bundle. At the top, they pull a 45-pound hose bundle up from the ground. They then simulate making a forced entry and complete a 175-foot run around pylons. Then the competitors pick up a hose filled with water and run another 175 feet, where they knock over a target. For the final stage, the firefighters grab a 175-pound dummy in their arms and drag it 100 feet.
Graff is at the world competition in Las Vegas this week and said it might be hard to compete in the heat after training in near freezing temperatures in Thompson in recent weeks.
