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10th CES firefighters expect win at Firefighter Combat Challenge

Firefighting Championshio

By Laurie Wilson/July 26, 2017

Firefighters at the U.S. Air Force Academy will compete in the regional Firefighter Combat Challenge July 28-29 in Longmont, Colorado, intent on qualifying to compete at the World Challenge championship in October.

The 10th Civil Engineering Squadron firefighters have competed, won and set world records consistently since 2002, making the Academy an international powerhouse in the challenge. They routinely place in the top three at the championship.

Fire Chief Ken Helgerson said to qualify to compete in the World Challenge, firefighters have to hit a specific time at one of the 14 regional events leading up to the finals.

“The Longmont regional challenge is where we expect the Academy firefighters will do that,” Helgerson said. “We should have some of our folks on the podium at the end of both days.”

The two-day challenge tests firefighter fitness while demonstrating the profession’s rigors to the public.

Wearing full bunker gear and the Scott 5.5 Air-Pak breathing apparatus, competitors sprint head-to-head in a linked series of five tasks, including climbing a five-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 pound ‘victim’ as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock, to log the best time.

Firefighters compete as individuals, in two-person tandems and five-person teams.  Categories are further split into male, female, co-ed, under 40, over 40, over 50 years old and the Chiefs category.

Academy Fire Capt. Roy Dalton expects the team to place or take the championship in six of those categories, based on their past performance and records.

“I don’t want to sound too overconfident, but we expect to take home titles once again this year, especially in the Over 40 category,” he said. “We have team members who’ve won before and who should make certain we again bring home a win. We’ve only been getting better every year.”

The Longmont Challenge regional event runs 5-9 p.m., July 28 and 1:30–6 p.m., July 29 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Individual competition takes place July 28 and tandem and team relays take place July 29.

The 10th CES will have 12 firefighters competing July 28 and approximately 2 relay teams and 10 tandem teams July 29. Among the competitors will be rookie Airman Jose Salcedo, 24, who has already gotten in some “practice” at the Florida regional.

“Competing in this Combat Challenge means me being better at my job and helping me improve as a firefighter,” Salcedo said. “The Florida competition was a different environment from here and I did well, but I could have done better.”

Helgerson has been competing as an individual at some of this year’s regional events, where he’s placed first three times in the Over 50 category. Though he’s already qualified for World Championship, he said attending regional events is a good way to remain competitive by staying in shape and improving his on-the job and competitive performance.

Dalton echoed Helgerson’s sentiments, saying the regional events are a lot like football scrimmages which allow firefighters to get game-condition practice and experience while competing. In keeping with that theory, some firefighters will attend the Nebraska regional event in September to help ramp up.

“We can’t take our past wins and records for granted,” said Lt. Hans Barkley, who has been a member of the Academy team for 12 years. “We’ve still got to get out there and run and run clean and put in the work, even if the numbers are in our favor.”

Helgerson said the fact that the 70-person USAFA Fire Department consistently wins against some departments with 2,000 plus members is testimony to their determination, grit, and shape.  Doing so is not easy, but the pay-off is worth it on a personal health and department performance level.

“If it was easy, everyone would do it,” Dalton said.

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Worlds are scheduled for national broadcast on ESPN.