Horry County Fire Rescue said five firefighters from "Team Horry" returned home with a 9th place finish from the World Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas.
Named the 2009 South Carolina Combat Challenge Champions, Team Horry competed against over 120 teams world-wide and placed 9th in the team relay competition.
According to the department, the World Firefighter Combat Challenge annually attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at more than 25 locations and is now expanding to countries around the world, including New Zealand, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. Wearing "full bunker gear" and the SCOTT Air-Pak breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a series of linked tasks.
"Competition was very tight this year," stated Michael Medeiros, wellness coordinator for Horry County Fire Rescue, as well as team captain for Team Horry. "To be in the top 10 of 120 teams in the world is an amazing accomplishment. We have a great team and look forward to competing next year."
Team Horry includes team captain, Michael Medeiros, David Howell, Michael Noreck, Aaron Windsor, and Jim Edbrooke.
For more information on Horry County Fire Rescue contact 843.915.5190 or visit www.horrycountyfirerescue.com
