By Laura French
IRVING, Texas — A group of Florida firefighters won the top title at the 2020 Firefighter Combat Challenge world championships this weekend, a competition dubbed the “toughest two minutes in sports” by ESPN.
The team of five St. Lucie County firefighters achieved first place in the championship, which was held on Oct. 24 in Irving, Texas, with the best average completion time in a series of firefighting-related athletic events, according to Treasure Coast Newspapers.
To complete the course, firefighters had to carry a 42-pound hose pack up five flights of stairs, hoist another hose pack up over the platform and run back down the stairs, force entry into a makeshift roof using a 9-pound axe, run a 140-foot circuit before dragging a hose 75 feet and hitting a target with water and finally lift a 175-pound manikin and carry it backwards to safety. All of the events are completed while wearing full bunker gear and an air pack weighing about 50 pounds total.
The five St. Lucie County firefighters — Brian Riebe, Kevin Reilly, Caden Wilson, Matt Coney and Dante Hill — achieved the fastest average time to complete the course, taking home the championship title.