BY
LAUREL MYERS
A group of Sudbury firefighters are lighting up the city's name
with accolades as they continue to add fuel to their firey
competitive sides, taking the top spots in fire combat
challenges across the province and leaving competitors in their
smoke.
For one member of the team, the challenge of the sport has
brought a certain need for speed, as he crushes his own records
with each passing competition.
Eric Pichette, a firefighter with the Greater Sudbury Fire
Service, joined the team at the end of last year, but hasn't
let his inexperience hinder his performance.
He's only one season in, and he's already marking the fastest
times on the team.
In the Southern Ontario Regional competition, held in Brantford
on June 28, Pichette grabbed a fourth place finish with a time
of 1:25.69 minutes, followed by teammates Trevor Fera - sixth
with a time of 1:29.02 minutes; and Jesse Fram - ninth with a
time of 1:31.99 minutes. The combined score earned the Sudbury
Fire Combat Team a first place finish overall.
On July 6, the boys were back at it again at a national
qualifier held in Toronto. Pichette knocked some time off,
running the race in a speedy 1:22.80 minutes, only two seconds
behind the first place finisher. 
Fera finished ninth at 1:30.07 minutes, and Jesse Laronde,
25th, at 1:44.04 minutes. With their combined time, the
threesome earned Sudbury another gold medal, and an opportunity
to participate in the national competition, which is scheduled
to be held in Quinte West, Ont., Sept. 11-14.
At the national competition last year, the young firefighter
nabbed a ranking of 20th overall. This year, his sights are set
for the top three.
"The expectations just get higher and higher at the races," he
said.
A seasoned athlete in various other sports, Pichette said fire
combat competitions are nothing like what he's ever put his
body through before.
"It's 100 per cent exertion for a minute and a half," he said.
"In hockey you can coast, with baseball you're just waiting and
reacting, but with this you're just trying to be a robot or a
machine. If you have time to breathe, you're not going fast
enough."
Fire combat is a competition based on firefighting tasks
commonly performed in emergency situations. The course begins
with a stair climb, carrying a 42-lb bundle of hose up six
flights of stairs, moving to a hose hoist, which involves
hauling a 45-lb donut role hose, hand-over-hand to the top of
the same tower.
After running back down the stairs, competitors then use an
eight-pound mallet to move a beam and simulate forcible entry.
Next up is a 140-foot run weaving in and out of hydrants,
followed by dragging a fully-charged hoseline 75 feet, aiming
the nozzle and knocking down a target with the water stream.
The final obstacle is a victim rescue, where a 165-lb mannequin
must be dragged backward 100 feet and across the finish line.
To add to the intensity, competitors must complete the course
wearing all of their equipment, which includes turnout gear
(protective clothing), helmet, gloves and boots, as well as a
high pressure breathing apparatus, all of which adds
approximately 100 lbs to the mix.
The combat challenge has been  referred to as "the
toughest two minutes in sports." Ron Haché, trainer of the team
and record holder at the national level of the competition,
said that description is dead-on.
"It's only two minutes, but I'll tell you, some guys are
throwing up after," he said. "There have been NHL and NFL
players who have tried the course without training for it, and
they finish it, but with very poor times."
He explained there is much more to the sport than physical
fitness.
"It's a combination of heart and endurance," he said. "You have
to be not only physically strong but sharp as well. When you
have all that gear on and you're breathing from a tank, it's a
combination of battling fatigue and staying sharp."
The Sudbury Fire Combat Team, in their thrust to become
national champions, have pulled all the stops and poured their
hearts into their training. They brought on Troy Thompson, a
trainer at The Gym Fitness Centre, to whip them into shape.
"He just kicks our butts, flipping tires, pushing sleds,
dragging sleds," Pichette said, admitting he has felt the
impact of the intense training. "All these dynamic movements
have conditioned us way better. It's a big difference in
training this year."
Thompson specializes in training groups, specifically athletes,
but he said the combat team is setting the bar high.
"These are probably the hardest-working guys out there," he
said. "Watching them in their workouts, I knew it was going to
result in a win going into the event. I didn't believe anyone
would be training as hard as them anywhere."
He admitted the drive has a lot to do with his approach, as
well.
"I'm pushing them to make sure they're training harder than
anybody else," he said. "They'll be able to run the event even
quicker the next time I'm sure."
The team has competed at the national level eight out of the
ten years they have participated in the sport. However, Jimmy
Kolar, the team's captain, said this will be the closest
they've ever come to winning a national team title.
"The personal trainer has definitely been an asset for us," he
said. "The boys are ranting and raving about it because they've
knocked off two championships at national qualifiers so far
this year, so it's been very successful."
The team has five more qualifiers to go; however, they've
already clinched a position at the national competition.
"We're looking to be national champions and it's looking good
for us," Kolar added.
Mayor John Rodriguez met the team at the fire hall last week to
personally congratulate them on their success and praise them
for the glowing example they continue to set for other
departments in the city.
"They are the faces of our fire department of the future," he
said. "They've gone to this regional competition and won as a
team. I think that's an example and a message for the rest of
the city and all the city departments that teamwork is what
counts."
Many of the members of Greater Sudbury's Fire Combat team will
be featured in this year's Firefighter Calendar, which is set
to be released in time for Christmas. Proceeds from the sale of
the calendar will be donated to the Sunshine Foundation Dreams
for Kids.
"We hope to raise at least $10,000 for the charity," said
Haché, adding that a portion of the funds will also be used to
help alleviate the costs of participating in the FireFit
competitions.
The FireFit Championships, or combat challenges, have been
running since 1994 and are recognized by fire departments, not
only in Canada, but worldwide. For more information on the
competitions or to view more results, visit FireFit.com.
