Friday, September 25, 2009 -

The next Brookshire Firefighter Combat Challenge will be held this weekend in Tyler, at Broadway Square Mall (north-end parking lot, next to Loop 323), located at 4601 S. Broadway Ave. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Brent Hail at bhail@tylertexas.com or 903-586-9293.

Friday, September 25, 2009, 5:30 PM - 11:00 PM: Individual competitions

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM: Opening ceremonies/start of relays and tandem competitions

According to the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Web site, the program "attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at more than 25 locations and is now expanding to countries around the world, including New Zealand, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. Wearing "full bunker gear" and the SCOTT Air-Pak breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing the 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. "victim" as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock."

The national Firefighter Combat Challenge is scheduled for October 30-31 in Arlington. Winners advance to the world competition to be held in Las Vegas in November.