Local firefighters compete in combat challenge

Two weekends ago, Rapid City hosted a contest that pitted firefighters from all over the country in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge. 

The challenge annually 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 five-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175-pound “victim” as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock. The goal is to complete the course in less than two minutes to qualify for the World Challenge XIX in Myrtle Beach, S.C., this November. ESPN calls it “the toughest two minutes in sports.” As one firefighter said, “Nobody in baseball or golf has to go up that damned tower.” And that tower is the killer.