Lubbock Firefighters Advance To World Finals In Firefighter Combat Challenge
By: Brooke Chavez
Updated: June 30, 2009
Some Lubbock firefighters are set to take on the world after a grueling two-day competition this past weekend.
Team Lubbock competed in the Firefighter Combat Challenge which was held in Colorado Springs. Three of the Lubbock teams qualified for the finals.
The teams participated in a five event challenge. The challenge consisted of the firefighters carrying a 42 pound hose up four flights, using a 9 pound sledge hammer to move a 160 pound steel beam, pulling a hose of water 75 feet and dragging a rescue dummy backward 100 feet.
Team manager, Matt Hixson says the competition is a labor of love for the firefighters and going out to the competition helps with recruiting as well. "They're always training and they're not being compensated for it, they're doing it because they love it and they wanna represent the fire dept and the city and you know that's humbling to me, I've been on the fire dept for 15 years and I can see that it's a great recruiting tool for us and it's a great thing for the city of Lubbock."
The three teams will compete in the World Finals which will be held in Las Vegas this November.
