Firefighter Combat Challenge

[VollieFireman]

Well, it is Monday morning and my first Firefighter Combat Challenge is over. I must say that it was a great experience! I look forward to the Little Rock event on May 24 with a sense of excitement and, well, joy. I know you are all wondering how well (or poorly) I did. Well, you just have to indulge me for a little while as I describe the experience. If you want to know the time and not the experience, just skip down to the end.

I woke up a little early today and decided to do some stretching to ease some of my nervous energy. Around 6:30, I cooked my breakfast which was the usual, but with a little more protein. I had 2 oz. of steak and 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites, and about 1 oz. of low fat cheese.

My wife and I left the house about 9:00 and found a parking space around 9:45. The challenge started around noon, but I was able to get on the course around 10:00. This I did and walked through the entire course twice (once on each lane). I pretended to do each evolution as I walked through. As I did this I started to feel my nerves build up, and I got anxious. When I finished my walk through, I was standing on the side doing some more mental preparations, visualizing movements for evolution to evolution, trying to calm my breathing. One of the course officials came over and talked to me for a few minutes. I told him how nervous I felt, and he talked me down. I started to feel better, but still nervous.

Around noon all the competitors were are asked to gather around the beginning of the course. Each group/individual was announced by department as we walked to the end of the course. It gave the crowd a chance to see what we looked like before we got all geared up. We were then given the course instructions, reviewing penalties and some of the changes to the course since last year’s events.

We were also given a chance to review our starting order. As it turned out, I was the first one on the list. Even though I did not get the lane I preferred, I knew I would not have to wait very long and the nerves started to wear off.

The first group that ran was the relay teams. They did one run in order to get the seeding order. It also allowed them to rest while the individuals ran. While the relay teams were running, I started to get ready. Now, there was no turning back. I knew then I was prepared for this, both mentally and physically.

We get called to the starting line. I am in the left lane, which means that I make right hand turns up the tower. I pick up the hose pack and adjust to the way I want it, with a little bit of a ridge in the middle to get my hands under. We are told to get on our marks. For us this means placing our hands on pressure sensors to ensure a clean start. The starting siren starts and we are off.

I pick up my 42 pounds hose pack (3 pounds less than I expected) and head up the tower. Although I had practiced taking two steps at a time, I ended up hitting each step on the first flight up. After the first turn, I was taking two steps at a time. At the top of the tower, I dropped the hose pack in the box and went to the rail. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my competitor and we were very close. At the rail, I then looked down and did not see the hose roll for the hoist, although I knew it was there.

I grab the rope and started to pull. Again, this hose pack weighed 42 pounds. This is where I had the most trouble, in practice and on the course. The rope that I already pulled up got tangled with the rest of the rope. Twice I ended up pulling both, once the hose roll slipped a little. I got the pack to the top rail and tried to pull it over, but the roll got caught on the railing. It took me two tries to get the pack over the rail, but I did finally get it in the box, and proceeded down the stairs. At this point, my competitor moved ahead of me but I was not too worried, I was running against the clock.

I was able to touch every step on the way down, without any problems. I stepped onto the forcible entry simulator and started to hit it with the hammer. I tried to make sure that the 160 pound sled was behind my legs to ensure I was driving the hammer through. I don’t recall how many hits it took me, but it seemed lighter and easy to move than the machine I used in practice. I set my hammer down on the mat, and proceeded to the zig-zag course.

I do not remember if I ran or just jog it, but at the end I picked up the hose line and ran to the simulated doorway. The way the hose line was placed, at about 50’ down the course, the second line gets taunt, and most competitors are jerked back a bit by the force of the drag. I don’t know if this happened to me or not -- I never felt it. I hit the target, and shut down my hose line and dropped it. I then ran to the last evolution, the victim rescue.

As I moved to the 185 pound dummy, I glanced at the clock and thought that it could not be right. At the time it read 2:20 I stopped with one foot next to the head and reached down to lift his torso. I put my arms under his arms and at his sternum, lifted him, stood up and started to walk backwards. I kept looking forward and not thinking about what was going on around me. At 50 feet I was still feeling my fingers touching, so I knew I had a good grip on the dummy. At 75 feet I knew I would make it to the finish line, provided I didn’t fall….which I didn’t. The clock displayed 2:38 when I did cross the finish line.

It was an awesome feeling not only crossing the finish line, but to see that time. It was also at that point, when I seemed to enter my body again. From the start to finish, it seemed like I was standing outside of my body watching each move.

Overall, it was a great experience and one that I am looking forward to doing again, on May 24. I have changed my personal goal from under 4 minutes to under 2:30. I know now that I have the strength, endurance and cardio required to complete the event. I just need to work on technique.

JP and his staff, especially Dale, has been great to help me reach this goal. I wish there was a better way to thank everyone, but I cannot think of it. I just hope sharing my experience is helpful to many other people.