By AMBER PATINO
Washington County firefighters will showcase their skills and teamwork during the second annual Washington County Fire Games on Saturday, September 6. Introduced in Washington County last year by Greenhead District Chief Greg Cole, the event highlights the talent and dedication of local firefighters through friendly competition, as well as strengthens community ties.
Scheduled for the first Saturday of September, the games also serve as a tribute in remembrance of the lives lost on 9/11.
The opening ceremony will commence at 10 a.m. at the Possum Palace in Wausau, with all competition events taking place on the adjacent baseball field. Gates open at 8 a.m. to the public and vendors interested in setting up booths. There is no vendor fee, and both admission and parking are free for attendees.
The games will consist of four events with two firefighters per team, starting with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)/ Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Relay. In this first event, competitors will test their precision and speed at donning their gear, including PPE, masks, and gloves.
The second event is Make-a-Line, a head-to-head showdown in which teams unroll and connect hose sections, charge the line, and attempt to knock over a traffic cone balanced on a 5-gallon bucket before their opponents. Winners advance to the next round through a bracket-style format.
The Bucket Brigade will be the third event, where teams have 1 minute to transfer water from a portable dump tank to a smaller 55-gallon barrel using only a 2-gallon bucket. After the time is up, whichever team has moved the most water to their barrel will advance to the next round.
The final event is Water Polo. In this challenge, two teams will face off and use charged hoses to spray water at a bucket suspended from a cable approximately 9 feet above the ground. The team that successfully uses their hose to move the bucket behind the opposing team first will advance to the next round.
There will be an awards ceremony immediately following the final event; first place winners for each event will receive a trophy, as will the overall top three teams.
In addition to the competition, there will also be activities for children to participate in that mirror the firefighters’ events. Youth can partake in “miniature” versions of each game, allowing them to join in the fun.
For any questions about the games, contact event coordinator Greenhead District Chief Greg Cole at greenheadfiredepartment@gmail.com.
Staff Report