GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Prepare for a display of pure athleticism this weekend. For the first time ever, Grand Rapids is hosting a firefighter challenge. And perhaps the best part – you don’t have to be a firefighter to compete!
The event, which is timed, involves a series of job-related obstacles. Melissa Shelton, the Chief Engagement Officer for the First Responder Institute, gave us a breakdown of each activity.
“There are five stations,” she said. “They're going to run up a tower with a 42-pound pack, which is indicative of the hose packs that they would need to carry into a high-rise building. They'll get to the top, put that pack down, and they will hoist up a 42-pound donut role, which is a hose again. Depending on what the situation is, firefighters may have to hoist up many different tools. Then, they will run down the tower, they'll jump on to a Keiser force machine, which will simulate breaking in through walls and doors. From there, they run through a delineator course. They'll grab a fully charged hose, run, and hit a target. By the time they get to that target, it's 250 pounds approximately. From that point, they will run over to rescue Randy, who's a 175-pound mannequin, and they will drag him 102 feet to the finish line.”
As of this writing, 124 people were scheduled to compete, including 70 local firefighters. People from all over the country and Canada will also be competing, and the competition is expected to be fierce.
“There will be national competitors that are doing it in 90 seconds, two minutes,” said Kathleen Thompson, Grand Rapids Battalion Chief. “You're really good if you can do it in less than three or four minutes. So yeah, it will be quite the event to watch.”
“It is all about those bragging rights,” Shelton said. “These people have the biggest hearts of anyone you will ever find, and it is all about the competition. It's making each other better, because they know it's not just about the sport. It's also about surviving real life and real life events as they're out there protecting all of us.”
The firefighter challenge not only offers live entertainment and raises money for charities, it’s also used as a recruitment tool.
“We need people to join the fire service,” Thompson said. “Working for the city of Grand Rapids is great, but the fire service in general is a wonderful career. And Michigan is short firefighters statewide. People just don't want to wear uniforms anymore — police or fire or or the ambulance service. So hopefully this will help people realize what a cool opportunity they have right in their backyard, and consider it.”
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