Rookie firefighters show what they're made of Published July 2, 2009 By Scott Jarmon 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 312th Training Squadron hosted the Rookie Firefighter Challenge earlier this month at the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy. The challenge is held quarterly as a competition in which teams and individuals are pushed to their physical limits doing various firefighting exercises. The competition is a survival series in which teams are timed and those with the shortest time advance. The first part of the course requires participants to carry a 45-pound hose up five stories without missing a step. Once there, another 45-pound hose is hoisted up the five flights. The next leg of the obstacle simulates forceable entry with participants swinging a sledge hammer to a 150-pound block. The final leg of the course requires participants to drag a hose approximately 50 feet aiming for a target ten feet away. A 165-pound dummy awaits the 50-foot drag to the finish line. "It's meant to fundamentally simulate what firefighters do on a daily basis." says Sergeant William Alexander, an instructor at the fire academy. "Some things are different, but as far as dealing with the physical endurance and using some of the tools, it's basically the same." Some students on Goodfellow even use the challenge to prepare for the exam. "It's called the toughest two minutes in sports for a reason" said Sgt. Alexander. The challenge is usually done with a multi-man relay team, each doing a portion, but occasionally there is an individual that chooses to go solo. It's hard enough with a relay team, doing it individually seems impossible. The Rookie Firefighter Challenge is open to anyone willing to participate.
