Photo By Maj. Jose Emperador | Fire Fighter Challenge winners from the 65th Military Police Company Airborne of Fort...... read more read more
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The Fire Fighter Challenge, a timed race through a fire fighting skills-based course sponsored by the 24th Air Expeditionary Group, provided a morning of tough competition for Joint Task Force Haiti service members, April 17, at a US military camp adjacent to Toussaint L'Ouverture Airport in Port-au-Prince. Two-person teams moved through 10 challenging skill points throughout the race which included a latter climb, a simulated litter carry, a wood chop --to simulate a building breach, and even the use of a high pressure fire hose.
Event organizer, Air Force Master Sgt. Bradley T. Beaty of the 24th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron said the skills race, which took him one week to put together, generated a high degree of interest. Beaty said he expected about 10 teams to sign up but interest was double the estimate. He said there were 20 teams of U.S. service members, as well as 6 non-competing teams of Haitian professional firefighters who wanted test their skills and endurance on the course. Beaty credits his team of Airmen with helping him develop the course which required imagination.
"I've put on a similar competition but with all actual fire-fighting equipment," Beaty, who is normally based out of Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Ill. when not deployed, said after the competition. "There's an actual piece of training equipment for the wood chop, which could simulate venting a roof with an ax, called the Keiser block and sled which we had to build ourselves for the competition."
A common theme amongst the teams competing was that they liked the competition, wanted to have fun and relieve stress. Many of the event participants echoed each other's sentiments.
The race winners from the 65th Military Police Company Airborne of Fort Bragg, N.C., agreed. Spc. James M. Murray a native of Oakboro, N.C., and Spc. Joseph C. Dorman originally from Fallbrook, Calif., both military police, said that they always like to participate together with similar events when given the opportunity for the competition. "We get involved in every competition that comes by ... I do it for the fun and to mentally escape the things we deal with every day," Murray said of his team that took first place with a winning time of 4 min., 48 sec. "Together we're pretty good...I push myself to try to keep up," Dorman said. "We participate to challenge each other ... If I do good, he does good. If he does good, I do good."
The fire-fighting themed competition's only all-female and joint service member team, consisting of an Airman and Soldier, said they were eager to get in the competition although they didn't know their team would be the only one representing their gender. U.S. Army Spc. Esther C. Prescott of the 602nd Area Support Medical Company from Ft. Bragg, N.C., assigned to the Air Force's Small Portable Expeditionary Aero-medical Rapid Response team said they were definitely not intimidated by competing males. "I just wanted to have some fun and kick some butt," Precott said with a confident grin. "I didn't know we would be the only females out here ... it was a challenge but we were definitely ready." Her race partner Senior Airman Stephanie A. Walker of the 24 Air Expeditionary Group's aerial team based out of March Air Force Base, Calif. said the competition was "more challenging than I thought it would be but it was fun."
The day's events also included demonstrations from U.S. Air Force fire fighters as well as Haitian Firefighters. Senior Airman Aaron Guillen, a driver/operator with the 24th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, and his crew chief Staff Sgt. Will Hock both demonstrated how to properly and safely navigate through the course. Both fire fighters, however, did it with full gear including helmet, air mask and tank, fire retardant coat and pants and boots—a condition not required by race participants. Guillen also said the competition was a welcomed break.
"We're out here to have a good time and burn off some steam." Guillen said, unphased by the day's heat, which ended up being a factor for event competitors. "It's a good friendly competition within the JTF."
Haitian members of the airport's fire department also demonstrated how to properly control a broken and unsecured charged line. A charged line is a fire hose pressurized with water. Once the water flow was turned on from the Haitian fire truck, the unsecured 100-foot hose flung around like a earthworm on hot concrete. A Haitian fire fighter, also in full gear, demonstrated how to jump on the base of the line and crawl his way up to the uncontrolled end to finally secure it.
Beaty says events like the Fire Fighter Challenge give his team a welcomed break. He and his team have been on duty in Haiti for 78 days.
"All these guys helped with the recovery at Hotel Montana and we worked in the University of Miami's hospital tent near here and we've also worked with the Haitian Airport Firefighters," Beaty said. "Firefighting is the same no matter what language you speak ... It's been great."
Maj. Gen. Simeon Trombitas, Joint Task Force Haiti's deputy commanding general, was on-hand to present carved stone prizes created from a local Haitian artist.
"When there's danger around most people run the other way," Trombitas said. "Fire fighters and military police run towards it."
Second and third place prizes were also taken by members of the 65th Military Police Company Airborne of Fort Bragg, NC. Event standings listed Team Olsen and Shaefer finishing second with a time of 2nd 4:52 and team Hernandez and Schwinn in third completing the course in 4 min., 55 sec.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2010 00:59 |
| Story ID: | 48440 |
| Location: | PORT-AU-PRINCE, HT |
| Web Views: | 503 |
| Downloads: | 389 |
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