Moncton firefighters world's best
Published Friday November 27th, 2009
Team wins 2009 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas
It's been quite a week of being inspired by the world of high-level athletics and sportsmanship in Metro Moncton, and we're not just talking about the Olympic Flame.
This time, we're talking about the guys who excel at putting out flames.
Five Moncton firefighters are now the 2009 world champions in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, the sport that sets the gold standard for the skills and abilities every firefighter must have.
"This is a spectacular achievement," Mayor George LeBlanc said last night.
Since the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is the Olympics of firefighting, LeBlanc said, "it was fitting they arrived back home in Moncton the same night the Olympic Flame came to our city."
The MonctonMoves.com FireFit Team of firefighters Jamie Richford, Marcel Dupuis, Jason Bergeron, Collin Powers and Matt Dunfield were not quite underdogs going to Las Vegas last week for the world championships. They themselves expected to place in the top 10 among hundreds of civilian and military firefighting services from across North America and a number of other countries. They finished fourth in Canada earlier this year, and Canada is a powerhouse in the sport. Last year, the two oldest firefighters from this year's squad, 34-year-old Matt and 30-year-old Jamie, set a world record in the tandem event at Quebec City.
They however hadn't dared to dream of taking top honours among the best of the best, but that's just what they did in the team relay.
For those not familiar with the firefighter combat challenge, it's often called "the toughest two minutes in sports."
Wearing their full bunker gear and their heavy SCOTT Air-Pak breathing apparatuses, pairs of competitors race head-to-head simulating the physical demands of real-life firefighting.
They perform a linked series of five tasks including climbing the five-storey tower, dragging 150 kilograms (300 lbs.) of hose, and carrying and hoisting lengths of hose that weigh about 20 kilograms (45 lbs.) each. They rescue a life-sized, 80 kg (175 lb.) "victim" known as Rescue Randy, dragging him backwards for 30 metres (100 feet), and also wield a sledgehammer in a simulation of forcible entry as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.
"Being the best in the world is just an outstanding accomplishment, and we certainly take great pride in the work of all our firefighters," Mayor LeBlanc said. Plans are afoot for the men to be formally recognized at the next meeting of Moncton city council on Dec. 7.
In another impressive feat, Marcel, a rookie on the Moncton Fire Department with previous experience as a volunteer firefighter in Memramcook, finished in the top 10 for individual times, in what was his first-ever major competition. For Marcel, the toughest "two minutes" in sports took just 1:31 plus 16/100 of a second that go by faster than it takes to read 16/100.
That was 4.65 seconds behind the time of the fastest fireman in the world, fellow Canadian Dwayne Drover of Ontario's Waterloo Fire Rescue. Jamie wasn't far behind Marcel, recording the 14th fastest time.
The results of the combat challenge would suggest New Brunswickers especially, Maritimers particularly, and Canadians in general all have cause to be proud of the ever increasing fitness and professionalism of their modern firefighting services. Dwayne Drover, a native of Stephenville, N.L., was chased to the podium by second-place finisher Ryan Hallam of Fredericton, who was just two seconds behind. Ryan often trains with the Moncton team, taking advantage of Moncton's training tower at the St. George Boulevard Station.
Meanwhile, the Moncton team's win was an upset of the event's favourites, the men from British Columbia's Kamloops Fire Rescue. And Halifax's Fire 1 team was close behind them at fourth. Another Canadian team, from Windsor, Ont., narrowly missed being in the top 10 as well, just losing the spot to the team from the Miami Dade Fire Department. The top female firefighter in the world was Jacqueline Rasenberg from Ontario's York Region Fire Department.
Moncton Fire Chief Eric Arsenault couldn't be reached yesterday, but earlier this week expressed his pride in their commitment.
Deputy chief for operations Don McCabe praised the dedication of the firefighters yesterday.
"Every day, when I stop at Station 2 on my rounds, there is always at least one of them training," he said.
"Their dedication to this sport has been their life in the department," he added, noting how they constantly train both on and off duty and then busy themselves with things like fundraising car washes on days off.
While the team enjoys financial support from the Moncton Fire Department, their Local 999 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, and local Coldwell Banker real estate office MonctonMoves.com, Matt Dunfield says, "a good majority of it still comes out of our pockets."
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