FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The toughest two minutes in sports will kick off in Fort Pierce on Tuesday.
The World Firefighter Combat Challenge Championship is meant to test and showcase the physical demands that comes with being a first responder.
"When you're dealing with life and property, and this is what they do everyday on their job, that's the whole fuction about why the firefighter combat challenge was created," said Chris Dzadovsky, Chairman, St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners. "It's to have fitness in departments, so that they can actually do their job and save as many lives as possible."
The event scheduled from November 2-6 is expected to bring in more than $2 in economic impact, according to Dzadovsky.
Teams from around the world will race against others, themselves, and the clock.
"We've got competitors from Argentina, Israel, Kuwait, Germany, Croatia, as well over half a dozen states, almost a dozen states here in the United States," said Rick Hatcher, Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism.
The challenge starts by climbing a five-story tower in a full set of firefighter gear weighing roughly 45 pounds.
Once at the top, firefighters are tasked with pulling a 45 pound hose tied to a rope up from the ground.
They then will race back to the bottom of the tower to hit the keiser sled with a sledgehammer, moving it five feet.
After that, firefighters will drag a loaded hose and shoot water through a set of doors.
The last step of the challenge includes dragging a 175-pound life sized dummy over 100 feet.
A competitive score is considered under 90 seconds.
The St. Lucie County Fire District team is hoping to defend the world title on it's home turf.
In 2020, the team won the world title in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The event is free to attend.
