FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The Treasure Coast is preparing to host a competition for firefighters across the globe.
Known as the "toughest two minutes in sports," the Firefighter Challenge World Challenge will return to downtown Fort Pierce this November.
The city has previously hosted regional and national-level competitions.
"Things are definitely picking up," said St. Lucie County firefighter Caden Wilson. "We started off the season with kind of a strict regiment that our fearless leaders Brian Riebe put together. Pretty grueling workouts."
The St. Lucie County Fire District won the last world competition hosted in Indianapolis and is now looking to defend its title in its backyard.
"Now we're at the point in the season where everyone is kind of working on their individual strength and weaknesses," said Wilson.
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As many as three teams from the St. Lucie County Fire District will suit up in more than 60 pounds of gear come Nov. 2.
The course calls for hoisting a 50-pound donut up a 5-story-high tower.
Firefighters will also have to drag a life-sized 175-pound dummy to safety.
"Hopefully you can run under two minutes," said Wilson. "That's what a lot of guys strive for. Our legs are screaming. We're out of breath. But you just keep continuing to get faster and faster and we just fall in love with that process."
"We had Kazakhstan, France. We had Croatia, England, Germany. They're coming from all over," said St. Lucie County Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky.
Dzadovsky said the five-day competition will bring more than half a-million-dollar economic impact to the county.
"Because we are now only 60 days away from the competition, we are in need of volunteers and sponsors," said Dzadovsky.
"Last year we won the world championships in the individual portion," said Wilson. "We came in second for the relay portion. So we're hoping to get another win for the individuals and also come up and get a win for the relay category as well."
