Fleming College Pre-Service Firefighting Instructor Brings Home Medals in World Firefighter Combat Challenge Championships
/Shawna Coulter, a local Port Hope resident, instructor at Fleming College and a member of the Whitby Professional Firefighters Association Local 2036, has returned from the World Firefighter Combat Challenge Championships with three medals (a Bronze and two Silvers).
Photo by Danielle Graham.
The Firefighter Combat Challenge is a sport designed to put firefighting fitness skills to the ultimate test, taxing physical and mental strength against the clock wearing 50lbs of firefighting gear.
The World Championships were hosted November 2-6 in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Coulter qualified for the World Championships by medaling in three divisions in a regional qualifier in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in September.
Men and women compete on the same course, complete the same tasks, all wearing the same firefighter gear replicating the real world demands of firefighting for all genders.
“The tasks we work through on the course don’t change. It doesn’t matter your age, gender or size - it’s all the same,” said Coulter. ”That represents the demand of firefighting - whether you are male or female you are still required to complete the same tasks on the job.”
The competition is comprised of six elements including carrying weighted hose packs up a 5 storey tower, an 175lb mannequin rescue, forcible entry and more.
“It allows you to prepare, and allows you that strong belief that no matter what you encounter on the job you can handle that.”
Photo courtesy of FirefighterCombatChallenge.
Coulter notes that because of her small stature, during the challenge she was carrying almost double her weight.
“I top in at around 135 lbs, so for me to complete the course I have to make sure I have to make sure that I keep my fitness training to a certain intensity,” she said. “One of the most grueling parts of the course happens at the very end, it includes dragging a 175-pound dummy 100 feet backwards. So for me once you include the 50-pound gear plus the 175-pound dummy I’m basically picking up and dragging twice my weight. “
Coulter says completing the last part of the course is a clear indicator to herself that if she ever needed to she could drag a crew member or a resident, no matter their size, out of a fire while on the job.
Prior to competing this year, training looked different than it did in other years.
“The last few years have been a challenge in terms of being able to train for that level of competition,” said Coulter. “Particularly not having consistent competitions to be able to attend, it’s definitely a challenge after two years to pursue that.”
Coulter and her team were able to train at Wild Water and Wheels, which she says played a huge role in their success.
“I was very fortunate to have an amazing group of fire fighters to train with. That has made a world of difference - whether or not those firefighters were competing this year they still came out and trained with me and helped me prepare - it’s very much a team effort.”
Photo by Rick Stephens.
