HAVERHILL, Mass. — After a seven-year hiatus, the city of Haverhill will once again host the Firefighter Combat Challenge obstacle course.
The two-day Scott Safety Firefighter Combat Challenge is an agility and obstacle course event which will draw firefighters from as far away as Florida, Kentucky, and the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Money raised by the event will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The 100-by-200 foot course will be set up in downtown Haverhill, reports the Eagle Tribune.
The course will include a five-story tower and ground obstacles. Firefighters compete in pairs wearing full firefighting gear and Scott 5.5 Air-Pak breathing apparatus, racing head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real firefighting.
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The teams are challenged to perform a series of five tasks, which include climbing the tower, hoisting objects, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175-pound dummy as they race against their opponents and the clock.
“We’re expecting a couple hundred competitors,” said Haverhill firefighter Tyler Kimball, adding there will also be a smaller course for children to try out.
Six cities nationwide — in Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, Iowa and Kentucky — have already held competitions, with nine more including Haverhill scheduled to hold them until October. The World Challenge XXV will be held in Montgomery, Alabama.
“It’s a lot of work and requires a lot of time and money. It’s quite a lot to put on,” Kimball said. “But it’s a great event to promote firefighter fitness and also for camaraderie within the department.”