Firefighter Combat Challenge News:
12/12/2002. The Streamlight Survivor Championship will air on ESPN2 1/12/2002 @ 1 pm EST and ESPN the same day @ 10:30 pm EST.
11/26/2001. A wrap-up of the events in Memphis, October 28-November 3, 2001. Click here for more information.
11/24/2001. The first airing of WCX will be on ESPN2, December 20 (Thursday), 11 PM. The second showing is on the 23rd, (Sunday) at 4 PM. The third showing is on ESPN, the 30th at 4 PM. We don't have air dates for the Streamlight Survivor Tournament yet.
11/16/2001. The World Challenge X The Final Wrap-Up is available!!!! Click here more information.
11/16/2001. The World Challenge X Page The results of the WCX are now available. We are still amazed as to the number of records broken. As we get additional results in a format friendly mode they will be posted. HOW ABOUT THEM GUYS FROM FROM MISSOULA AND MR. COMBAT, BOB RUSSELL FROM OVERLAND PARK. Click here more information.
11/12/2001. Televison Update A&E's: Rebroadcast of the "The Competition Firefighter Challenge" Hosted by Terry Bradshaw. 10am Sunday November 18, 2001. Set your recorders now. ESPN: WCX from Memphis, TN ESPN2 Thursday 12/20 11pm and Sunday 12/23 4pm ESPN Sun 12/30 4 pm All times posted are eastern standard time and check your local listing for any changes. Click here more information.
10/22/2001. The results for the Best of Series at the IAFC in New Orleans is now up. We have had problems with the follow address to send certificates and awards.
- Cindy Parker, Tarpon Springs FD
- Pam Lillard, Miami Dade FD
- Michelle Huyette, Metro Dade FD
- Chad Chavers, Louis F. Garland FA
- Jerry Holland, Little Rock FD
- Gerard Krollinger, Unknown FD
- Gary Glenn, Unknown FD
Please send correct mailing address to Rainda Green.
To see the results Click here more information.
10/22/2001. The World Challenge X Page is available and list the Lion Den recipients for 2001. Remember to bring you Department Flag or State Flag for the Saturday Morning Opening Ceremonies. Click here more information.
10/12/2001. The following people need to contact Mindy Watkins at 301.421.4433: THOMAS MILTON, JOSEPH FOUCHA, KENNETH FRANQUES II, FRANKLIN TANNER, TAMARA BONDS,
10/10/2001. WCX Scott Award Banquet is November 3, 2001 at Mud Island. The banquet begins at 5:30 and the awards ceremony begins at 6:30. Tickets are $15 (per person) before October 25, 2001 otherwise $20 per person for adults. Children 12 and under are $10. Tickets are available on line. Click here more information.
10/01/2001. The El Paso Venue has changed location because of the cancellation of the Amigo Air Show. The new location will be Cohen Stadium located at Trans Mountain Road and US 54. Exit 54 north @ Diana. We have added a special WCX Qualification relay event on October 13 at 2pm. Registration by phone (888.combat5) and on site only 11am - 2pm. The Kids event will be October 13 from 11am to 2pm.
09/28/2001. On 18 August at the Block at Orange Challenge event in Orange, California a no notice drug test of FCC competitors was conducted. The testing was done by random selection and for individual event winners. Twenty-two test samples (12% of competitors) were collected by the Center for Drug Free Sport personnel and analyzed at a certified laboratory in accordance with recognized scientific procedures. The analysis revealed one positive test for the anabolic steroid nandrolone and one for marijuana/cannabinoids (2 out of 22 = 11%). The individuals who tested positive admitted to the infractions and discipline has been enforced in accordance with the FCC Drug Testing Policy. The nandrolone positive individual suggested that the positive test resulted from ingestion of the over-the-counter diet supplement androstenedione. While this cannot be proven, there is some evidence to suggest that a significant number of brands of this supplement (and related derivatives) are contaminated with steroid and other substrates (research conducted by UCLA Analytical Laboratory) and can result in positive drug tests. Competitors should be very careful in their selection of dietary supplements and ensure that they are what they purport to be and free of additional additives not listed on the labeling. The FCC policy makes no distinction between legally purchased dietary supplements, doctor prescribed drugs/substances and illegal drugs/steroid/substrates if what is consumed results in a positive test for a banned substance. The competitor bears the responsibility for being informed and drug free. There has been no change in the FCC policy published 1 October 2000 nor the FCC philosophy regarding banned substances. Positive tests for banned substances WILL result in disqualification and discipline according to FCC policy. One thing is for sure, there will be future drug tests and the FCC no tolerance policy will remain in effect. The honor and positive image of the Fire Service and the all drug free competitors demand it! Dr. Jack
09/19/2001. For the past week, I, like you, have been glued to the TV and reading the Washington Post and Times from cover to cover. I watched the collapse of the WTC towers and felt literally, sick to my stomach. It was almost more than any American could bear. Words are so inadequate; I have wanted to express our sentiments so eloquently, but there's really nothing that can capture the madness, the senseless waste and the needless destruction of human life and property. The thousands of Americans who started work on a glorious fall day were murdered with so little concern. What kind of animals are these? How can one become so detached from the human race that you could wreak havoc on the innocent? We saw evil incarnated in the persona of Timothy McVeigh. A self-appointed judge and executioner, who to his dying breath, expressed no remorse. There were 19 such individuals who likewise are so detached from life that they would wantonly slaughter the innocent. There is evil around us, evil that knows no bounds. No one felt like moving last weekend. Our cancellation of the event in Gloversville was the right thing to do. And now, the right thing to do is to pick up the pieces and get back in the saddle. We all share a common spirit. We exist so that others might live. It is our stated purpose to provide our stakeholders (the tax paying public) evidence of the excellence that propels us- one and all in our daily lives. Firefighters have never enjoyed greater admiration than now. We at On Target have always known the caliber and quality of the men and women who make up the fire service. We just want the world to know, what it has instinctively always known, that the American Fire Service is here to save lives. A large part of our efforts will be directed to taking the message to the entire country. We believe that we are a force for good and will rightfully take our place as the traveling ambassadors of the fire service. To this end, we wish to assist the families of the FDNY. Accordingly, we now have in place, the First Responder Institute, a charitable, not-for-profit [IRS 501(c)3] organization with a mission to provide support for our nation's firefighters. Every cent that we raise will be directed to the special 911 Fund created to provide support for the widows and orphans of the FDNY. We will immediately begin with a donation from our company, and serve as the conduit for other donations of our Challengers and sponsors. Paul O. Davis, Ph.D. 15312 Spencerville Court Suite 100 Burtonsville MD 20866 301.421.4433 301.421.9575 fax email: podiii@aol.com http://www.firefighter-challenge.com
09/19/2001. The upcoming event in Haverhill, MA on September 22nd, will be dedicated to the fallen firefighter of FDNY. Donations are being accepted by the Haverhill Firefighters. For more information contact Tyler Kimball @ 978.521.3990.
09/19/2001. In regards to the terrorist attacks that took place at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last week, the Virginia Beach Fire Department would like to dedicate their Event to the fallen firefighters and the many innocent people who lost their lives. This event has affected an entire world. The event opening program includes black arm bands being provided for each competitor, the National Anthem, a moment of silence, and the fire department bag pipes honoring those who have lost their lives. For more information contact Billy Reynolds @ 757.631.0175.
09/19/2001. In Memory of the heros of FDNY, we have cancelled the Gloversville, NY event scheduled for this weekend, September 15, 2001. Registration fees can be utilized toward remaining events or refunded. We will update this page as more is known.
09/06/2001. Nashville, September 1, 2001 Continuing our tour of a select number of Mills Corporation properties, we visited the Oprey Mills, located adjacent to the Oprey Land Hotel and the Oprey theme park. We relocated to parking lot 6 instead of the planned 3c lot due to space and surface considerations. This event boasted the largest number of competitors this season to date. Prior to the competition we discussed amongst ourselves how the Challenge draws so well along the Mississippi valley. We laughed at the thought of putting the Challenge props on a barge and playing at ports of call along the river. Start in Minnesota and finish the season in New Orleans. Wouldnt that be a hoot? This day would be notable for several reasons. There was excellent traffic by the event all day, even though we were at the back side of the huge mall. Virtually all of the local network affiliates covered the event. There was a nice, above the fold, front page, color photo in the Sunday papers metro section. The representation from the states was substantial. Fire departments from Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, and of course, Tennessee were in attendance. Quite a number of relay teams participated. We started with 15 teams and ran a first round elimination to get our 8 qualifiers. We then followed our usual and customary individual seeding, working towards two of our fastest competitors of the day, Bob Russell and Bret Yundt. Bob Russell was running as an individual on a Challenge team for the first time this year and he was ready. I couldnt help but notice how controlled he was. Nothing seemed strained. He quickly distanced himself from Bret and was hitting all the marks and splits of his World Record run of two years ago. Bob finished with a 1:25.22, knocking a half second off his best ever race. We later spoke about the run and he remarked that he had felt great; he had a lot of reserve left in his legs and just wanted to maintain control. He thought that he had a few bobbles on the hose hoist, but otherwise, it was a clean run. Bret, now in the over 40 class was consistent with his earlier time and finished firs in his category with a 1:41. Pat Schibler also set a new PR with a 1:33. As expected, the Overland Park team took it in a walk with a team total time of 4:47.51, putting them at the top of American teams, with Ottawa the only team ahead with a 4:45. Brett Kampman was the 3rd Overland Park team member whose time counted with a 1:49. He was 18th overall. Theres still a lot of improvement to come in Bretts future. Springfield (MO) finished in second place with a time of 5:17 and Waukegan, in their very distinctive blue and gold bowling shirts finished third with a 5:19. Little Rock is missing Steve Kotch whos on injured reserve due to a water skiing accident. That put them behind Byron (IL), the young guns who were led by Erik Meyer (1:44). I see this team on the way up and clearly will be a top contender. Theyve got to be the youngest group with the best times. Erik was knocking on the sub-2 door when he was 17. Sixteen of the teams competing made the six-minute cut. Joel Verbrick of the Waukegan team, in only his second running has gone under 100 seconds. And Todd Williams, just back from an injury set a new personal record of 1:42. Heres a guy to watch: first time player, Don Borgeson from Smyrna (TN) who ran a very impressive 1:50 on his first ever run. On this point, I want to apologize for the fact that we are seeding some of these speed merchants in the back of the pack. However, until youve run a time on the course, we really dont know where to put you. Twenty eight of the competitors ran times under 2:00. Nine of the 12 Over 40 guys qualified in their own right with times under 3 minutes. Randy Hill of Leawood (KS) took second (1:58), and John Robbins from M&M (OH) was third with a 2:06. All of the Over 50 guys made the cut. Russell Elzinga (Creve Coeur, MO) took first with a 2:07; James Maley of Hilton Fire (SC) placed 2nd with a 2:08 and the venerable Bill Noland, a 10-year Challenger from Palatine, IL, took 3rd place with a 2:38. Bill, only having recently retired after 30-plus years of combined service, was competing with a torn bicep. Bill is one of my real favorites and has been a familiar figure at competitions all over the country. Hes famous for the Willy Walk a rather innovative way of speed walking back when it was illegal to run. If youve not had the privilege to meet Bill, you need to make his acquaintance. Youll not meet a more inspiring firefighter anywhere. Rockford (IL) produced their first womens relay team and the only one that ran that day. Lisa Williams, Triana Dowrick, Toni Richmond and Shannon Reffett finished with a 3:28. They now know where and how to improve their time in order to qualify. The Memphis A team finished with the win in the Streamlight Survivor tournament (1:26). Memphis was well represented in the relay category. The Bluff City elite had the fastest time (1:22), but were knocked out in the final round when a team member moved a dropped flashlight while another member was on the Slammer. The Sutphen team from Portsmouth Ohio looked very smooth and finished in third (best time 1:27) while the Corinth (MS) Team 1 took fourth place (1:27). Were getting a lot of positive feedback on the elimination brackets. The relays are very exciting and the times are blistering. Clearly running multiple heats is helping fine tune the techniques. Theres a lot of chinks in the armor and passing is where its at. I keep reminding the relay teams that the Streamlight must be passed, not thrown, tapped, batted or tapped. Were handing out a lot of penalties and we dont want to. But to win this event, youre going to have to play by the rules. Speed is everything and a penalty will take you out of contention. Were currently producing an instructional video, sponsored by Streamlight that will address all the very fine points. We anticipate that this video will be ready for next season. While this might come too late for a lot of you, we believe that it will be a boon for all of the prospective new teams waiting on the sidelines to join the Challenge next season. There was only one woman competitor, Linda Dewald from Harrison Fire Team Daewoo. She finished with a very respectable 3:21. But what was more important, Linda had a hiatus of some several years since she last ran. And, shes back with an entire team. Theyre now serious about training and we see great things ahead for all the team members.
09/06/2001. Here's a wrapup of the activity in New Orleans. At 6 PM we broke for the 3rd Annual Corporate Cup Relay Challenge. We had refined our rules each year as a consequence of what we observed, or from the feedback of the competitors. Eight teams took the field in what was to be our best ever competition. The rules employed this year were nearly identical to the current Streamlight Survivor Tournament with a couple of exceptions. No bunker gear was required and the Rescue Randy weight reduced to about 70 pounds. Issues of injury mandated that common sense be employed here. Last year we had allowed two competitors to move the dummy; the result was out-of-control competitors ripping arms off of Randy. While not directly verifiable, there were hints of making it interesting. In other words, side bets between the various teams. We could not guarantee races between specific companies, but we could guarantee that a clear leader would prevail and, whoever won this year would do so by surviving- not a fluke win in a single race. Streamlight had won in the two previous years. Last year they had come back at the end by cajoling a runoff of the then fastest team. This years protocol would require that they not lose a single race. Again, like their firefighter counterparts, they ran a heat each for seeding purpose. Scott took first seed with a time of 1:39; SuperVac was second with a time of 1:44. Paratech was third with a 1:50. Waterous, 4th with a 1:56. Streamlight was 5th with a 1:57 and Spartan 6th with 2:00. The Dive-Rescue team was 7th with a 2;16 and Smeal brought up the rear with a 2:29. In the first round, Smeal improved to a 1:53, but lost to Scott who bettered their time to a 1:36. Waterous knocked off 5 seconds but lost to Streamlight. Spartan improved by one second but fell to Paratech- whose run was four seconds faster. SuperVac toasted Dive Rescue by 12 seconds with a 1:43. This put Scott, Streamlight, Paratech and SuperVac in the final four. Streamlight defeated Scott in the semi-finals with a 1:42. Scott, while ahead at the finish line fell only feet from finishing and didnt get a time. SuperVac, improving steadily, took out Paratech with a 1:40 to their 1:54. This put SuperVac against Streamlight in the final round. SuperVac was edged out by .33 seconds by Streamlight (1:40.34). Im very happy, in these circumstances, to have electronic timing! Walter Kaihatu lead his band of merry men in an infield celebration of great exuberance. I had mentioned earlier to Walter that a win this year would be no fluke; they would have rightfully earned their bones by winning four, back-to-back competitions. The spectators greatly enjoyed the very spirited competition and cheered wildly for everyone. These companies that make a market in the fire service earned notoriety from their customers for the willingness to put it on the line, in full view of everyone. Everyone on every team was in their own right, a winner for taking the field. Streamlight was presented the Corporate Challenge Cup, whereupon they took it to a local bar and commenced to fill it with an assortment of alcoholic beverages. Were already working on opportunities to expand the competition for fire service exhibitors at some selected venues next year. Also under consideration for the out years is the additional requirement to wear the Air-Pak (without facepiece).
09/05/2001. Orange, California, Saturday, August 18, 2001 By my count, this marks our seventh visit to Orange County, California. The first national championship took place here at the Marriott in Anaheim in 1992. We also held an event at the training facility next to the Anaheim stadium, two appearances at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa and two appearances at the Spectrum. This season, as a part of our on-going partnership with the Mills Corp, we moved our event to the Block. We are frequently conflicted when we come to southern California. Theres so much going on and so many fire departments, how do we gain the recognition we believe we deserve with so much clutter? We believe that we have a message for our stakeholders- the citizens who support the fire service. But, like any large city, gaining access to the media channels is something that takes a lot of time and effort. As Regional events go, this was a good one. While we were on a fairly small footprint, the space was adequate. Competitors in the west always seem to be well prepared, and this was not exception. Adding great interest to the mix was the reigning champions from Ottawa: Phillip Miller, Sean Ireland, Stirling McNeal, Pat Tilley and Mike Fitzpatrick. The team from Boise took second place. Orange City provided excellent help for the course. It was a hot, but quite tolerable day. No one required any assistance. Bud Converse, president of Nederman and his local distributor provided support at the rehab tent. All this year, weve been handing out the 16 oz. Scott Health & Safety drinking water bottles. Drug Testing at this site was smooth and without incident. In fact, Friday evening at the host hotel (Hawthorne Suites) an informal conversation on the subject took place with a number of the competitors. The preponderance of the opinions were highly supportive of the program. In fact, the competitors are very eloquent on this topic. I want to make it perfectly clear that we are not in any way attempting to trick, or trap anyone. We simply are sending a signal that this is a drug-free competition. We are doing this because you, the competitors want to be untainted in your accomplishments. The election to utilize an outside, neutral source should be obvious. We dont need to re-invent the wheel. We have chosen the NCAA guidelines for a couple of reasons; the first being that this is an amateur sport. The NCAA is the most lenient of all the governing bodies. I believe that our message is now getting through. On the subject of west-coast venues, Im of the opinion that we really need three events. One in the Northwest, a second in northern California and a southern California one. Ideally, because of logistics, it would be good to make the swing west in one pass. Were already on the case for 2002. In attendance for her second time at a Challenge was Nona Barker, co-founder of Eagle Creek. Nona is a firefighter with Elfin Forrest-Harmony Grove in North County, San Diego. Eagle Creek is now 27 years old and I have known Steve (her husband) and Nona for nearly all of these years. I believe that the quality that they build into their product line is consistent with the same mindset as our competitors. Were very proud to have Eagle Creek as a sponsor and were delighted to put their products into your hands. We hope that youll support their efforts by looking for their brand when making choices about travel gear. As the leader in the field, they like us, enjoy excellence. Theres nothing that comes close to the quality- with a lifetime guarantee- like the Eagle Creek line. We note with sadness that Larry Vandenberg, the Levster was on injured reserve, although you couldnt tell for all the assistance he added to the show. Larry is one of the very few who have played in the Challenge every year since its inception. He also occupies a number of other notable categories as the only guy with a pacemaker and the first winner in the over 50 category. Larry is a shareholder in On Target and has an Anaheim FD badge (77) that says Fireman on it. To round out a perfect weekend, Larry arranged for a hot air balloon ride in Perris, Sunday morning. What a treat! Thanks for all your effort, Larry. See you in Memphis. Walt White, formerly of American River Fire Protection District, informed me that its now Sacramento Metro. Walt is another original. His contributions are legend and were back to working on another gig up north, perhaps back at Cal-Expo- clearly one of the best gigs weve ever done. If you missed it, we held one of the biggest crowds ever for a live Challenge. It would be great to repeat that venue. Now is the perfect time to send in all your thoughts and ideas for the out years. I believe that we can do a better job with the media. And, given all the fit firefighters, we should be putting on a two-day event.
09/04/2001. Cheyenne, Wyoming. August 11, 2001 In our relentless quest to conduct at least one Challenge in every state, we added the least populated one to our list: Wyoming. That thought wouldnt cross your mind, based upon the turn-out. Some 10 months in the works, the Rocky Mountain Regional was a spectacular event. The setting was the Lions Park, adjacent to the lake. The weather cooperated to produce a bright and sunny day, with temperatures in the low 80s. And the boys from Cheyenne managed the support activities with aplomb. The event was also noteworthy for the inauguration of the POK/SuperVac scoreboard. Earlier in the week, the Challenge Road Crew of Ron Beckman, Bill Edwards, John Upp, Daniel Pace and Paul Davis descended upon the SuperVac plant in Loveland, Colorado. For many months, the SuperVac team had been designing a suspension system that would support the nearly 1000 pounds of weight associated with the 64 x 64 LED pixel unit fabricated by Colorado Timing Systems. In earlier visits this year to SuperVac and Colorado Timing, considerable attention had been directed to the complex nature of adding the super structure and support for the added weight. Through the use of videotape, still photos and schematics, the engineers at SuperVac crafted a customized frame and hanging system. The scoreboard is comprised of four panels. The panels are linked with centronics cables. A BNC data cable is used to drive the display. After a couple of dry runs at the fabrication facility, we felt that we had a pretty good handle on putting the scoreboard up for real. Daniel started immediately with the design of the display templates and has added constantly to the repertory of graphics. The event went off without a hitch. There were a lot of familiar faces and a lot of new, really fast rising stars. Noteworthy was the appearance of Dave Green, venerable Challenger from Westminster. Daves run was significant for a lot of reasons, not the least as his testimony to being a cancer survivor. His story is compelling and yet another example of how we can take our health for granted. Dave was discovered to have cancer of the salivary glands. His bout with the big C resulted in a loss of over 30 pounds and a host of other complications and side effects from the surgery and radiation treatment. Running the Challenge was a statement that he had recovered and had triumphed. While his time of 2:03.61 was no where near a personal best, (1:45) its still a standout accomplishment for any firefighter in their 40s. In 1993 Dave Green was the #5 ranked competitor. Jim Pieterangelo and the boys from Poudre Fire Authority didnt disappoint and took first position. A constant theme was are you coming back? Short answer, yes. Whats not to like about Cheyenne? It had all the ingredients of a great venue. The view was terrific, the support exceptional, media coverage present, the crowds were enthusiastic, Challenge merchandise flew out the tent, competition was fierce and the weather spectacular. The only tinge of regret was that it has taken us so long to come to Wyoming. For you newer competitors, the Challenge owes a special debt to the state of Wyoming and particularly the guys from Casper. For the first three years of the competition, Casper dominated the Challenge. They defined excellence in their performance on and off the course. Brian Spaulding seemed invincible. Mike Vogt was mister steady. Richard Fink and Curt Hildebrand could be counted on to produce consistent times and Val Novicki was one of the top over 40 guys in the country. They set a high mark for others to follow. They were the first team to seemingly have their act totally together. They showed up, in uniform, and wore distinctive bunker gear created just for racing. Clearly, they had insights on training that others were only just starting to learn. It would have been nice to have seen these guys again- just for old time sake.
