Members of the Chestermere Fire Services competed at the FireFit Canadian Nationals Sept. 14-19 at Spruce Meadows.
“It felt good to get back out there,” said Capt. Geoff Standish after his team’s first run at Nationals Sept. 16.
Both his team and Capt. Craig Passmore’s team last competed at the ‘Road to Nationals’ Spruce Meadows Southern Prairie Regional in June of this year, where they earned a spot at the Nationals.
Although they are competing against teams from across Canada, Passmore said he is really competing against himself and striving to do better with each run. His goal was for his team to have a run under one minute 21 seconds.
Passmore’s team made it to the semi-finals but lost to a team from Fort McMurray. His team’s time was one minute 28 seconds.
Standish said that he’d be happy with a time under one minute 25 seconds. He did have a more personal goal as well.
“I just want to beat Craig,” laughed Standish.
His team made it as far as the quarter-finals finishing with a time of one minute 26 seconds.
Both teams wanted to improve on their times from the regional competition.
“This year’s a learning and building year for…getting the basics and building blocks for future years,” said Passmore.
The Scott FireFit Championships is a timed competition based around tasks firefighters are required to do in emergencies.
“Its tools of the trade,” said Passmore, “these are jobs that we do.”
“It takes every skill that we do but speeds it up,” he said.
Both Captains agree that participating on the FireFit teams is a great way to stay fit and build team work within the department.
“Firefighting is team work and this is an opportunity to function as a team,” said Standish.
“Being platoon specific sometimes there’s guys that we don’t get to work with,” he said. “being on the FireFit team you get to work with guys that your sometimes not shoulder to shoulder with all the time.”
The competition highlights the need to stay in shape as a firefighter.
“It really hits home that we have to keep in shape,” said Passmore.
“It’s a personal challenge and gives you that kick in the butt to get in shape, stay in shape,” said Standish.
As captains, Passmore said that it’s also important to lead by example.
“If the supervisors can do it then the guys right down to the newest guy on the floor can,” he said.
The entire course can be a challenge but Passmore thinks the stairs can be particularly difficult.
“I don’t do the stairs personally,” he said.
“That’s where we usually put the strong guys,” said Passmore, “that are really in great shape, they do the stairs for us ‘cause that takes a really good toll on you.”
“The part that’s the hardest is, it’s a technique based event and just nailing techniques at each station is challenging for everyone on the team,” said Standish.
Try outs for the team were held a few months before the regional competition. The hardest part of choosing the teams was balancing the need to have enough firefighters available for calls.
“We have 35 guys in Chestermere,” said Standish, “making sure that there is always manning for the requirements of the station is difficult.
Your team responsibilities are often requiring you to be somewhat flexible with personal time…It’s a challenge but we’re making it work, two full teams.”
Passmore said that overall the FireFit Nationals have been a great experience and he is looking forward to competing again next year.
“We will be back next year, fitter, faster and stronger,” he said.
