WELLESLEY TOWNSHIP, Ontario, Canada — Three firefighters are heading to Calgary to compete in FireFit, a firefighting challenge that will take place September.
Ryan Dosman, Madison Lavigne and Dave Uberig were fast enough in their regional competitions and able to secure spots in the competition.
The competition takes place in Calgary, Alberta, where firefighters compete in completing a number of tasks in full gear.
“What we would wear into an actual fire, we have to wear,” Dosman told the Record.
The trio train regularly, using equipment that is similar to the competition’s unique heavy lifting that’s completed as quickly as possible. Their training gear includes a giant tire and a 154-pound dummy.
“We have a lot of our own props, things we’ve made to simulate the event,” Dosman said.
FireFit kicks off with requiring firefighters to run up six flights of stairs while carrying a 42-pound hose bundle. At the top of the tower, firefighters dump the hose in a bucket and then pull another heft hose attached to a rope.
“You’re leaning over the railing and pulling it up hand by hand until you get to the top,” Dosman said.
Following the trek up the stairs, firefighters must then rush down the stairs, making sure to hit every step. Other parts of the competition include a slalom run, dragging a heavy “charged” hose full of water and dragging an 176-pound rescue mannequin backwards.
The competition, in total, lasts only minutes.
The Wellesley firefighters train off-duty, and have started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the trip to the Alberta-based competition.