Academy course rumbles with footsteps of regional firefighters

  • Published
  • By David Edwards
  • Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. --  About the only thing missing this weekend at Rumble in the Rockies was a tuxedo-clad Michael Buffer and his patented boxing introduction.

But after the presentation of the colors and the national anthem, rumble these competitors did as firefighters from all corners of North America showed the Air Force Academy it's OK to get hosed every now and then.

Ten states and Canada were represented at Rumble in the Rockies, which is the largest event on the schedule of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge.

Competitors vied for times that would qualify them for the world championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in November. The Academy drew competitors from such distant places as Las Vegas, Memphis and Omaha, Neb.

In the individual competition, 26 firefighters met the qualifying time of less than 2 minutes. Academy firefighters made an excellent showing, winning both the men's and women's relays, placing in multiple events and qualifying three people for worlds.

Vail firefighters, competing as Team Nick Asoian, were there as well. They are traveling the country trying to raise $10,000 for Hodgkin's lymphoma research. Their team is named in honor of a colleague battling the disease.

Being acclimated to the high elevation gave a slight home-field advantage to the Academy teams and others from the Mountain West. Temperatures were in the 90s both days, but there were no flames, so "is it hot?" was definitely a relative question.

"Despite the fact that we're at 6,000 feet, it has no appreciable effect on performance, but it does on recovery," said Dr. Paul Davis, the event organizer and creator of the Firefighter Challenge. "I think part of the reason we've been able to sustain this is that there's a direct audit pathway to science. Of course, the firefighters don't care about that; they just want to see who's better."

The event costs $88,000 to put on, and the funding comes entirely from private sources. Fire equipment company Scott is the primary sponsor. Also, the Pikes Peak Firefighters Association raised $25,000 in privately donated funds.

That money was critical, said Academy Fire Chief Ernst Piercy. Without it, the 37 Academy firefighters in the competition would have missed out on all the benefits.
"It's all about firefighter fitness," Piercy said. "Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of firefighters, so fitness is the primary reason we do this."

He added that the bonds established and strengthened at Rumble in the Rockies are rewarded when interagency cooperation is required.

A good example of that is the Fire Fembots team, which consists of three Academy firefighters and two Colorado Springs firefighters. The current world record holders and defending world champions in the relay, the Fire Fembots cruised to victory with a time of 1:44.51, just .02 seconds short of tying their record time.

Academy teams were regulars in the tandem events, and in addition to the usual dominance of the Fire Fembots, Team USAFA finished second, a shade behind champions Run Faster Omaha. In the individual competition, Academy firefighters Bill Gates, Patrick Kraft and Tyler Moran earned the right to compete at worlds.

"It's not just the camaraderie but the experience," Piercy said. "All we're really doing is honing our firefighter skills."

Josh Sarters, who was competing for Team Warren from Wyoming's F.E. Warren Air Force Base, echoed those comments.

"The biggest thing by far -- and it doesn't matter where you go in the country -- is the camaraderie," he said. "Everybody you meet becomes your friend."

Despite youth and relative inexperience, Team Warren has performed impressively, earning nine medals in nine events this year. This time was no different: Team Warren finished third in the team competition and second in the relay.

Sarters, who worked as an Academy firefighter for five years before moving on to Warren, finished sixth in the individual competition with a time of 1:40.35.

He said the team is looking forward to the midsummer break. The schedule picks back up again in September.

Asked if the competition relates well to the job, Sarters responded with an answer that only a firefighter could give: "It definitely makes every aspect of our job easy."

For full Rumble in the Rockies results, go to http://www.firefighterchallenge.com.