This time, it's firefighters who will take up the challenge

The UAE will host the UAE World Firefighter Challenge next year, on the sidelines of the International Exhibition for Security and National Resilience (ISNR), Abu Dhabi 2016.

Held in collaboration with Reed Exhibitions at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), the championship will be organized by the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Civil Defense General Command, in collaboration with the UAE-based 911 Challenge, and will take place on March 15-17, 2016. The UAE national team will take part in the event, along with a large number of teams from around the world.

The World’s Firefighter Challenge is a series of unique motivational competitions that test firefighters’ basic fitness skills, stamina and innovation, as well as their capacity to exchange know-how with their colleagues, and raise awareness of the dangers of fire. It consists of six key tasks that test firefighters’ basic strength and stamina as follows: Stair climbing, where the competitor climbs a 6-storey tower while carrying a 20 kg high-rise pack of hose; Hose hoisting; the competitor hoists a 20 kg roll of hose from the top of the tower; 

Forcible entry; the competitor simulates a forcible entry by moving a hydraulic beam with a shot mallet; Running, where the competitor moves as fast as possible shouldering fire hydrants nozzle end for a distance of 43 meters; Hose advancing; the competitor shoulders and drags the nozzle end, advances 23 meters and hits the designated target with the stream of water; and Victim rescue; during which the competitor simulates a victim rescue by dragging an 80 kg Rescue Randy mannequin over a distance of 30 meters. 

Dwayne Drover, winner of the 2009 edition of the championship, said, “The UAE World’s Firefighter Challenge counts among the strongest and best contests in the world.”

Mohammed Hassan Al Ahmedi, CEO of "911 Challenge" said: “Organizing such competitions aims at developing firefighters’ skills and encouraging fair competition amongst them, in terms of speed, skills and fitness.”