Dugway Firefighter challenge: In support of our brothers

DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah -- The Dugway Emergency Services hosted a Firefighter Challenge, October 12, at the Shocklee Fitness Center in English Village. Six teams composed of four members participated from the Dugway Fire Department, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department and active-duty members from Dugway Law Enforcement.

The challenge at the remote Army Post included five critical skills that firefighters must have to ensure they can safely rescue victims and put out a fire.

"First challenge was a two-story tower climb in the stairwell of the fitness center in which team members carried a 35-pound hose on their shoulders, then hoisted two 40-pound round weights from the fitness center's floor to its circular running track more than 40 feet above," said Kevin Russell, a deputy fire chief at Dugway.

The second obstacle was outside the center and involved a Keiser Sled. The sled is a steel I-beam structure then simulates a forcible entry, which tests a firefighter's ability to master axes and sledgehammers. The team member straddles the sides of the sled and strikes the moveable center with a 9-lb. dead-blow hammer.

The third was running obstacle course with a series of orange traffic cones was followed by fourth challenge, a hose advance to test the fire fighters stamina and their precision in extinguishing a fire. The fifth and final test was a victim rescue in which a 200-pound mannequin was dragged approximately fifty feet.

Two timed relay efforts were combined to reach each team's final scores. The top two teams received a certificate. Dugway's Law Enforcement team came in at 2.63 minutes with the Dugway Fire Department's Match Strikers in a close second with 2.85 minutes

Fire Captain of the Tooele Army Deport Fire Department, Russ Feola nicely summed up their participation in the event, "We are all here to support our brother firefighters."