The Firefighter Combat Challenge is comprised of five tasks simulating actions taken at a structural fire. The tasks include:

* Stair Climb: Carrying a 45 pound hose pack, competitors climb a five-story scaffolding tower and deposit the pack in a square on the top floor.

*Hose Hoist: Competitors pull a 45 pound donut roll of hose to the top of the tower, hoist it over the rail and drop it in a designated square.

* Forcible Entry: After descending to the bottom of the tower, touching every step along the way, competitors proceed to the forcible entry machine where they must advance a 160 lb. beam five feet, using an eight pound shot mallet. The beam must be struck; hooking or other illegal technique results in a penalty.

* Hose Advance: After walking 140 ft., competitors pick up a charged hoseline and advance it 75 ft. At this point, the competitors must crack the nozzle, hit a target with the water stream, shut down the nozzle and place it down before proceeding to the final task.

* Victim Rescue: Competitors must drag a 175 lb. Rescue Randy mannequin a distance of 100 ft. Competitors complete the course once they and the mannequin completely cross the finish line.

All Competitors must wear full, NFPA approved turn-out gear, including structural helmet, coat and pants with liners, gloves and boots. In addition, they are hooked up to a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) which is provided to them during the competition. If any of these items become removed during the competition, they must be retrieved and replaced before the competitor is able to advance.

A strict set of rules and guidelines are enforced during the competition to guarantee the safety of each competitor. Timers and judges monitor the competition to record times and penalize competitors for infractions.

Competitors compete in one of the following four individual categories depending on their age, rank and sex: individual, female, 40+, or 50+. There will be a Chief’s category at the International Championship. Teams are comprised of 3 or more competitors. All competitors run the course once, with the three best times counting toward the team and individual competitions. Top places at each of the regional competition advance to the International Championship.

All contestants must perform the Combat Challenge within seven minutes. Failure to do so will result in the individual being disqualified and removed from the course. The course marshal, at his discretion, may stop any contestant who, in the marshal’s opinion, may injure himself or others.

The Waiver and Release Form must be signed by every contestant prior to participation. No one will be allowed to participate withour signing this form.

Registration for the event can be done at the official Firefighter Combat Challenge website.