The Northeast Regional Firefighter Challenge Classic is returning to downtown Erie after more than 20 years, and the setup has already begun in preparation for a weekend of intense competition.
The five-stage obstacle course takes firefighters through a series of challenges mirroring tasks they face on the job, such as forcible entries, hose firing and even victim rescues with a dummy.
“He weighs about 160 pounds, so they’ll drag him, all the firefighters, all fully geared, so they add another 120 pounds on them while competing,” said Mackenzie Gilson, an employee at Snap-Tite Hose, a sponsor for the event. “They just really give back to the firefighter community when they do this, and it’s a great cause. The firefighters challenge travels all over the country, and we’re just happy to have it in Erie.”
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The challenge isn’t just exclusive to firefighters in the Erie region, with 174 firefighters across three countries and 29 states competing in the challenge this weekend…