From July 11 to 12, firefighters from across the country gathered in Bellevue, Washington, and pitted their skills against one another. The Bellevue competition is one of many Scott Safety Firefighter Combat Challenges across the U.S. During these events, fire departments compete for the best time in events like "rescuing" a 175-pound dummy, hoisting a 42-pound rope up a platform, and running up flights of stairs all while dressed in layers of heavy fire gear. It is a physically demanding competition that displays the skills of the nation's best fire departments and takes months of training to prepare. In fact, there is even a detailed training video on YouTube.
Dr. Paul Davis Scott, the coordinator for the Bellevue competition, told Q13 Fox, "What makes [the event] a game is to do it some insane amount of time and that's the challenge."
Dr. Davis introduced The Scott Safety Firefighter Challenge began in 1991, and participation has been improving ever since. Some Canadian and other international fire departments have joined in the challenge. The regional winners will advance to the 24th World Championships, which will be held in Montgomery, Alabama, this October.