The LION’s Den induction ceremony was held on Thursday, November 17 in Myrtle Beach and hosted over 500 guests and former competitors of the Firefighter Combat Challenge World’s Competition. LION is the last of the original sponsors actively participating in all World’s competitions. LION has been active in the U.S. FFCC network since its inception 20 years ago. For the 20th anniversary, LION created a commemorative challenge coin for all previous and this year’s 25 LION’s Den inductees.
At the 20th Anniversary Celebration, a special presentation was made to Combat Challenge founder Dr. Scott Davis, who was given a bronze statue on behalf of event sponsors Scott, LION , the staff and competitors.
For the uninitiate (a person unfamiliar with a specific topic or subject) upon first seeing the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, the likely question: “What is this and where did it come from?“ Good questions, both.
Back in the dark ages of personnel selection, fire chiefs believed that big(ger) people tended to excel at the avocation. Ergo, there were minimum height and weight standards. No one considered that women would ever want a career in this most male of occupations. Disparate impact was an unfamiliar term in those days. So, in 1975, Chief David Gratz who was the director of fire-rescue service for Montgomery County (MD) and Dr. Leonard Marks paid us a visit at the Sports Medicine Center of the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health, Department of Kinesiology. They wanted to know if there was a way to measure what it took to, for example, climb a ladder and chop a hole in a roof. “Sure,” we remarked.
It’s a time for remembrance. Nearly 3,000 people were murdered. Each loss creates an unfillable void for family, friends, our fire service and first responder community, and the nation.
It’s a time for reflection. Right after 9/11, as a country, we stood as one. That sense of oneness has looked and felt increasingly fragile over the past two years of economic and political turmoil in our country.
It’s a time for renewed solidarity: to recommit ourselves to a belief in that oneness that we felt so strongly 10 years ago. The challenges we face in each of our communities and in the nation can only be solved through believing in oneness not divisiveness. Divisiveness is what our enemies hope for.
We must also recommit ourselves to the defense of our country – and to its core values. On 9/11, we were attacked by radical Islamist forces not for a specific policy, but for who we are. Remember: in 1993, under a different president from a different party, there was another deadly terror attack on the Twin Towers. It’s America – and what we stand for – that’s the target.
I thank each of our first responders for putting your lives on the line daily to keep our families and communities safe. I hope our nation never experiences anything like 9/11 again, but if we do, know that we as a company are doing everything we can to keep you safe and ready to respond to whatever challenge you face.
What happens when one of the biggest names in the fire service joins forces with one of the most original, cutting-edge firefighter apparel designers for an all-new line of stirring, rugged and durable equipment designed just for firefighters? Black Helmet Supply produced by LION®, a line of NFPA-certified protective gear and equipment with hand-drawn designs that represent how firefighters live. Not only will they supply what firefighters want to wear, but also what they need for protection. Protection that will represent the dedication, tradition and sacrifice demonstrated in service of the public and the brothers and sisters at their side.
Given the current economic climate, it’s hard to anticipate exactly how local fire departments’ missions will change in the future, if at all. (Although substantial changes are certainly occurring in many places, such as privatization, public safety officers, contracting, outsourcing, etc.)
Depending on the specific jurisdiction and its fiscal situation, it’s likely that some departments will expand their services (probably without additional staffing or equipment), and some will be forced to reduce the range of what they currently provide their communities.
EMS, of course, is likely to be a big part of that discussion, depending on how it is presently delivered and the fire department’s level of engagement, training, and standard of care.
Click here to read the entire article on FireRescue1.
Battery manufacturer Duracell has launched its Power Those Who Protect Us donation program that lets you give back to the selfless volunteer firefighters that keep us safe. When you purchase specially marked CopperTop packs, they’ll make a battery donation to volunteer fire departments to power communication devices and life-saving equipment. Each pack contains a unique code, which you can enter to direct your battery donation to a volunteer fire department of your choice.
Grammy-winning Cee Lo Green switched up the lyrics to his massively popular “F**k You” single to thank firefighters for their service and dedication:
Are you competing in this year’s Firefighter Combat Challenge? Do you have what it takes to earn a top spot in the LION’s Den hall of fame? Don’t let anything hold you back — especially your gear.
LION’s V-Force raises the bar for firefighter protective clothing by employing LION Janesville’s innovative V-Fit™ Design. V-Fit takes the best technology from combat and professional sports clothing and applies it to turnout gear. The result is the optimum balance of comfort, mobility and protection.
For this information, I had to refer to our department’s kettlebell subject matter expert, Bob Ross, a 52-year-old firefighter/paramedic who’s been on the Phoenix Fire Department for 27 years. He’s also a Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) certified instructor who rehabilitated himself from back surgery after sustaining an injury in 2003 that could have ended his career. He began using a kettlebell after reading an article about a new exercise program that involved using a “cannonball with a handle.” After two short weeks, Ross’ back felt stronger and less painful. He also noticed that his cardiovascular strength was starting to increase. In 2005, he became certified by the RKC. The RKC was the first kettlebell instructor course offered in the United States, and continues to certify instructors today. I’ve worked with Ross and can attest to his excellent fitness level as well as the applicability and benefits of working out with kettlebells.
That there may be a connection between air pollution and sudden cardiac death is not news. What is news, however, is that at least one study has found that “pollution-related cardiac arrests occurred when particulate levels were high but still below the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety threshold of 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air,” according to a study published in the September 20 online American Journal of Epidemiology. The research was conducted by the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. In a previous column, for example, it was reported that exposure to ultrafine particles during fire suppression should be considered a potential contributing factor for coronary heart disease in firefighters. The study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Aug. 2010.
The North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System study looked at more than 8,000 people who suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in New York City between 2002 and 2006 in relation to air pollution levels during that time. The number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests rose four to 10 percent with each 10 microgram per cubic meter of air increase in small-particle air pollution. The eye-opening finding here, as cited above, was that these cardiac arrests occurred when particulate levels were still below the EPA safety threshold. This study adds to the growing body of research that suggests air pollution is bad for the heart. Earlier this year, the American Heart Association issued a statement noting that evidence is growing that air pollution is a risk factor in heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health, has funded a number of studies on the association between airborne particles, such as sulfur dioxide and other fossil fuel emissions, and the risk of early death from cardiovascular disease. The studies found a strong relationship. One of these studies was the Six Cities Study, conducted in 1974, at Harvard University. It initiated a long-term study on residents of the cities to assess the effects of common air pollutants on respiratory and cardiovascular health. More than 8,000 subjects were studied over a period of 14 to 16 years. The focus was on the health effects of gaseous pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide (the result of coal burning), and fine particle air pollution (that comes from motor vehicle exhaust and power plant emissions). Subjects living in the more polluted cities were found to have a higher risk of hospitalization and early death from pulmonary and heart diseases as compared with those living in the less polluted cities. Fine particle pollution was proven to have a stronger association with mortality than the gaseous pollutants.
The Firefighter Combat Challenge World Championships are the culmination of a season of hard work and rigorous training for teams around the world. Congratulations to all of the competitors for their dedication, hard work, sportsmanship and camaraderie throughout the season each year. Their passion for firefighting, competition and sport are unmatched.
LION has been a long-term supporter and the official turnout gear and helmet sponsor of the Challenge because we believe in its mission of encouraging firefighter fitness and demonstrating the profession’s rigors in a public way. Wearing full turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing the 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175-lb. “victim” as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.
Check out this video of LION Janesville turnout gear in action – and what FFCC competitors have to say about it – at the 2010 Firefighter Combat Challenge World Championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C., last month.
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