Two Quinte West firefighters competed in the 2022 World Firefighter Combat Challenge, believed to be the “toughest 2 minutes in sports.”
Pat Millington and Greg King of the 2022 Quinte West FireFit team, competed in the 2022 World Firefighter Combat Challenge held in Sandy, Utah, earlier this month. The event was also attended by other Canadian firefighter competitors, as well as international competitors from Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine, and the United States.
Millington and King competed in the competition’s Wildcard Days, with both qualifying for the individual and relay finals. Millington’s individual time of 1:30 in the finals ranked him an impressive 26th in the world. The team results also include:
- Gold medal – Greg King, Tandem Race (Male Over 50 Division)
- Gold medal – Greg King, Tandem Race (Mixed Over 50 Division)
- Silver medal – Greg King, Relay Race (Male Over 50 Division)
In the Firefighter Combat Challenge competitors undertake firefighting tasks commonly performed when responding to emergency situations, including a six-storey stair climb while carrying 45 pounds of hose, a 42-pound hose hoist to the sixth floor, a forcible entry simulator using a 9-pound mallet, a 140-foot obstacle course, 75-foot hose drag, and finally, a 175-pound victim rescue a distance of 110 feet to the finish line. Competitors dress as they would when entering a structure fire and wear full personal protective gear while racing. The equipment and gear worn by the competitors must be certified for structural firefighting. The competition is very physically demanding, and a real test of competitors’ physical limits.
The Quinte West FireFit team thanks the fire and emergency services committee chair, Sally Freeman, Fire Chief, John Whelan, Deputy Chief, Rick Caddick and the City of Quinte West, for their continued support.
Quinte West firefighters will host a regional FireFit competition on July 1 and 2, 2023.
The team welcomes new competitors. Any Quinte West firefighters looking to join the team in competition can contact Greg King.
