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Firefighters compete in 'combat challenge' 

Miami Township team competes against 20 other community firefighters

Five firefighters from Miami Township Fire/EMS competed in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge in Evansville, Ind. on Sept. 30, competing alongside 20 other departments in several physically-challenging events.

Lt. Dave Jetter

Firefighter Brian Mungan

Firefighter Jason Peng

Firefighter Tom Porter

The Firefighter Combat Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public, and broadcasts its annual championship on ESPN. It attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian fire departments each year at more than 25 locations.

Lt. Dave Jetter and firefighters Ross Pawlak, Brian Mungan, Tom Porter and Jason Peng competed for Miami Township in five events:

--High Rise Pack Carry: A six-story stair climb carrying 42 pounds of three-inch hose.

--Hose Hoist: When firefighters reached the top floor of the tower, they must hoist a hose roll weighing 45 pounds from the ground to the top of the tower. Once completed, they descended down the tower touching each step.

--Forcible Entry: Firefighters must hammer a 160-pound weight six feet with an eight-pound hammer. The competitor must then negotiate a 140-foot obstacle course of fire hydrants and then drag a fully charged hose line 75 feet and hit a target with a stream of water.

--Hose Advance. The competitor must negotiate the 140-foot slalom course with a hose without missing or knocking over any delineator.

--Victim Rescue: Firefighters must drag a 175-pound dummy more than 100 feet backwards to the finish line wearing full turn-out gear weighing 65 pounds.

Jetter and Peng had experience in the event before, but this was the first time for Pawlak, Mungan and Porter.

"We enjoyed the competition so much that we are planning on doing it twice next year," Pawlak said.

The Miami Township firefighters union sponsored the team, and paid for their entry fees and travel costs. Anyone interested in helping to sponsor the team next year can contact Pawlak at 965-5827, or the Central Fire Station at 248-3700.