On Friday, from 10:00, at the stadium of the Jelgava Technology Secondary School, Meiju Road 9, Jelgava, the competition "Strongest Firefighter" will take place for the first time in Latvia, at the end of which the strongest Latvian firefighter rescuer of the year will be determined.
"The State Fire and Rescue Service has long-standing sports traditions, as good physical fitness and the profession of a firefighter are closely related. On Friday, we will start a new tradition with the “Strong Firefighter” competition, and seeing the response of the firefighters, this sport has the potential to become an integral part of the service’s sporting life. The “Strong Firefighter” competition is called the most difficult two minutes in sports, because it requires very good physical fitness and professional skills from the participant, so I wish all participants in this competition endurance!” explains O. Āboliņš, Chief of the State Fire and Rescue Service.
The distance of the “Strongest Firefighter” competition is based on a popular sport in Europe and the USA that tests the professional skills and physical fitness of firefighters. The distance consists of five stages – climbing a tower while carrying a bundle of hoses, pulling a hose reel onto the upper platform of the tower, testing strength by hitting a rail with a hammer, pulling a hose full of water and carrying a dummy weighing almost 90 kg to the finish line. The entire distance is completed in a special protective suit for firefighters, and in individual competitions, participants breathe with the help of a breathing apparatus. This simulates as closely as possible the conditions in which firefighters have to work in a fire.
The winners will be determined in the individual and team distances. More than seventy participants from the Latvian State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lithuanian Fire and Rescue Department will participate in the competition.
Spectators will be able to watch the competition at the stadium. Admission is free.
