At the first competition in 1990, half the teams were unable to complete the event in the 10-minute time limit, and some could not find their way out. I was personally terrified at the prospect of losing firefighters during what should be a pretty simple fire-fighting operation, Fire Chief Warner said. In this year s competition, every team completed the event in the allocated time without losing their bearings. This is the reason we have this competition to improve the way we do business and make it less likely that fire fighters will be killed or injured during an actual operation. Each fire department hosts the event on a rotational basis.
Individuals become team members by volunteering then competing for team positions.
The team members then assemble at the host installation for three days of competition. Each event is based on real-world fire department operations such as advancing hose, raising ladders, search and rescue, vehicle operations, and physical fitness. The rules for each event are based on commonly accepted practices published in fire ground and operational and training guidance. The top three finishers of the competition earned a trophy to be displayed in their fire station. Team members also received a trophy for their individual efforts.