November 11, 2006

Firefighter competes in World competition

       Steve Coover, an inspector for the White River Township Fire Department, participated this week in the Tyco/Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge World Championship in Henderson, Nevada.  Steve competed in the co-ed tandem division with his partner, Tania Daffron, from the Bloomington Fire Department.  Although the pair did not score high enough in the wildcard qualifier to continue to the finals round, they did however beat their previous event record with a time of 5:18 (combined times over two runs).  Both were happy with the results and were already setting goals for next year's event.

         The Combat Challenge is an obstacle course that was originally a firefighter fitness evaluation conducted by Dr. Paul Davis from the Boston area.  It has now grown to a National Event that has gained in popularity over the past decade.  The Challenge, proclaimed to be “the toughest two minutes in sports”, is made up of five combined events while wearing full firefighting gear and breathing air from a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). Those events consist of:

1. 5-Story stair climb while carrying a 42lb Hotel Pack (hose fold)
2. Raising a 42lb hose roll up the 5-story wall by a rope.
3. Completing a forcible entry simulator with a 9lb shot mallet.
4. Negotiating a slalom course for a distance of 140 feet, advancing a charged hose line 140 feet, and then hitting a target with the stream.
5. Dragging a 175lb rescue dummy 100 feet to the finish.
    

          Individuals or teams wanting to compete in the World Championship must first qualify at one of approximately nineteen regional events by meeting or exceeding a minimum time score.  Steve and Tania were able to qualify for the World Championship by competing in the regional event held in conjunction with the Fire Department Instructor's Conference (FDIC) at Indianapolis in April of this year.

         More information about the Tyco/Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge can be found by visiting their web site by clicking HERE.  For a related story, click HERE.
 
   

           
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