Air Force firefighters demonstrate skills at 2009 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Matthew McGovern
  • Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
LAS VEGAS (AFNS) --  Beneath the lights of the original Las Vegas strip, Air Force firefighters blazed through the finals of the individual competition Nov. 19 during the 2009 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge here.

Dave Chiodo, a firefighter from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., finished ranked number one in the world for the 55 and older category with a time of 2:19.
"It feels pretty good to finish out on top and because of my retirement coming up, this may be my last race ever," said Mr. Chiodo, the 58-year-old firefighter.

Staff Sgt. Jessica Packard, a firefighter from Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, is just beginning her career as a firefighter. At only her second competition ever, her course time for the individual event was 2:58. This makes her the fastest in the Air Force and ranks her third in the world.

"The team I train with pushes me; they are some of the best in the world and I couldn't have done it without them," Sergeant Packard said.

The individual competition consists of two firefighters racing against each other through an entire course to simulate the demands of real-life firefighting conditions.

In this event, the firefighters climbed a five-story tower, hoisted and chopped an item, dragged hoses and rescued a life-sized 175-pound "victim," all while wearing their full bunker gear, including an air-breathing apparatus.

During practice, and the competition itself, firefighters do become aware of their own conditioning level and abilities.

"The time to find out you can't get the job done is not when the fire happens," said Paul Davis, the firefighter combat challenge founder.

"What we have here is the best way to get a sense of where you are physically, relative to where you need to be and in that sense this competition is quite diagnostic," Mr. Davis said. "This is a competition with a purpose."

This year's challenge marks the 18th time the firefighter combat challenge has been held, and now the competitiveness of the Air Force firefighters has gained the attention of Mr. Davis.

"The Air Force has become a real powerhouse," Mr. Davis said. "It wasn't always that way and it's really quit refreshing to see our military playing a very big role in this and it legitimizes these guys as true firefighters.

"The Air Force out here at the top of the heap speaks volumes about the importance that the Air force places on things," he said.

Air Force firefighters will compete in the tandem competition and relay championship Nov. 20, the last day of the event.