American Lung Association - Fighting for Air

First Responders

Gear up for the Firefighter Challenge! This special competition offers an incredible training opportunity, a fun morale booster and stirs some healthy competition among firefighters. The bigger the team, the better! To be eligible for this Challenge, individuals on teams must:

• Pay the registration fee and raise the $100 minimum required.
• Meet the gear requirements listed below.

Calling all firefighters! Step up and be a part of the Firefighter Challenge! Firefighters will once again have the opportunity to participate in a special section of the Fight for Air Climb: Master the Met. Climb individually, with your department, or on a firefighter team.  This event is not only a great training exercise and personal challenge, but it is also a great way to build team camaraderie and join together in an effort to raise valuable funds and awareness for the American Lung Association.  There will be specific Firefighter awards and all firefighters and participants are welcome to celebrate their accomplishments at the event's after party on 6th Street. Everyone is timed using an electronic chip, and teams and participants will receive both individual and team times.

Rules & Regulations for the 2012 Climb

In the best interest of competition and to make this event as fair as possible, the following guidelines have been established.  These categories are the mandatory requirements to qualify for awards.  It is the intent of these guidelines to ensure fairness within the competition.  These guidelines will be monitored on an honor system.  If a complaint is filed with the Fight For Air Climb Director, it will be investigated.  If it is deemed that an infraction has occurred, that competitor's time will be removed from the overall teams qualifying times.  Any gear you may bring into the stairwell must make the journey up with you.

FEES - A registration fee (non-transferable and non-refundable) is required for each participant, and there is an additional $100 minimum fundraising requirement due by the date of the event in order to participate.  The money raised will support the American Lung Association in our mission to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.

There are three categories in the Firefighters Challenge:
Firefighters on Air
Firefighters without Air
Uniformed Services

Firefighters On Air:
In order to qualify, the following guidelines must be adhered to:
1.  TEAM - You must have a minimum of 3 members to compete as a team.  There is no maximum number of team members. Members do not have to be from the same department. The top three times will be used when calculating team totals.
2.  PPE - Must be structural firefighting gear adhering to NFPA 1971.  Neither coat nor pants need to have the liner in place.  ¾ coats will be permissible.
3.  BOOTS - All boots must be structural firefighting boots.  Rubber, leather, & lace up boots will be permitted, provided they are fire rated.  NO station boots will be permitted when qualifying for the trophy.  Again, boots must be structural firefighting boots.
4.  GLOVES - Gloves will be optional.  They do not directly affect the outcome of the race
5.  HELMET & HOOD - Helmets are mandatory, hoods will be optional. 
6.  AIR TANK - An air tank must be worn the entire climb in order to qualify your time for awards.
7.  MASK - Masks must be worn to qualify for a time in this category.
8.  EMS - Any EMS team is more than welcome in the firefighting competition provided they meet the above requirements.
9. TOOLS- No tools of any kind, including tool belts, axes, etc., will be permitted in the stairwell.

Firefighters Without Air:
In order to qualify, the following guidelines must be adhered to:
1.  TEAM - You must have a minimum of 3 members to compete as a team.  There is no maximum number of team members. Members do not have to be from the same department. The top three times will be used when calculating team totals.
2.  PPE - Must be structural firefighting gear adhering to NFPA 1971.  Neither coat nor pants need to have the liner in place.  ¾ coats will be permissible.
3.  BOOTS - All boots must be structural firefighting boots.  Rubber, leather, & lace up boots will be permitted, provided they are fire rated.  NO station boots will be permitted when qualifying for the trophy.  Again, boots must be structural firefighting boots.
4.  GLOVES - Gloves will be optional.  They do not directly affect the outcome of the race
5.  HELMET & HOOD - Helmets are mandatory, hoods will be optional. 
6.  AIR TANK - Air tanks are optional, but not mandatory. If you are wearing an air tank, consider being a part of the "Firefighters on Air" section.
8.  EMS - Any EMS team is more than welcome in the firefighting competition provided they meet the above requirements.
9. TOOLS- No tools of any kind, including tool belts, axes, etc., will be permitted in the stairwell.

Uniformed Services Section:
For Teams wishing to participate in the firefighter Challenge that do not meet the gear standards listed above, they may participate in the Uniformed Services section of the event.  This may include but is not limited to police, EMS, firefighters, military and any other emergency service personnel.

Firefighter Challenge awards:

• 1^st and 2^nd fastest Full Gear team
• 1^st and 2^nd fastest Geared team
• 1^st and 2^nd fastest Uniformed team
• 1^st and 2^nd fastest Full Gear individual
• 1^st and 2^nd fastest Geared individual
• 1^st and 2^nd fastest Uniformed individual
• Overall largest team