Heat was on in firefighter challenge
 
 
DOWNTOWN AKRON — Firefighters
from across the country descended on Akron Oct. 5 and
6 for the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, a competition
that takes place in 25 sites nationally.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic campaigned to get the competition held in Akron after accompanying his college roommate, a professional firefighter in Massachusetts, to an event in Florida. Competitors in the event were required to don full bunker gear and breathing apparatus, totaling about 80 pounds, and perform the physical demands of real-life firefighting in a linked series of five tasks: climbing a five-story tower, hoisting a 45-pound hose, “chopping” a 160-pound weight with a mallet, dragging a hose and turning it on to hit a target, and dragging a Rescue Randy mannequin to safety. The firefighters were paired up as they raced through the course and timed.
Local firefighters in the competition included Reade Allen, of the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, who is shown below left after his run through the course Oct. 5.
Art Dean, of the Akron Fire Department, is pictured at left as he completes the last task of the course: dragging the 175-pound dummy to safety.
Shown above is a firefighter as he makes his way up the five-story tower.
Individual and team events took place Oct. 5, followed by relays and tandem events Oct. 6. The events took place on South Main Street in Downtown Akron.
From the Akron event, the top three firefighters in each division advanced to a national competition in Atlanta this week. The world competition will be held in Las Vegas in November.
The weekend also featured the
Kid’s Firefighter Challenge, a scaled down and
child-friendly version of the adult competition. Seth
Falcone, 5, of Akron, is shown below as he takes up
the challenge and competes
in the obstacle course. —
By Kathleen Folkerth
Photos: Ken Crisafi
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