Firefighter combat challenge raises funds for first responders struggling with medical expenses

WARNER ROBINS – Firefighters came together to compete in the fourth annual Central Georgia Firefighters Combat Challenge on Saturday, April 26. 

Every year, local firefighters and firefighters throughout the state unite at the Warner Robins Fire Department Training Center. The event raised funds for first responders struggling with medical bills after being diagnosed with cancer or serious injuries and diseases.

Two participants were given the event’s proceeds from ticket sales to help with their medical expenses. One of the participants, who is from Columbus, is battling cancer, and the other is a local who has been struggling with his medical bills after a recent diagnosis.

Organizer Shane Shifflett described the challenge as a place where brotherhood, camaraderie and competition come together. Seventy-nine participants signed up this year, a 25% increase in participation; Competitors ranged from 13 to 51 years old. 

This year, fire departments statewide competed, Shifflett said. Fire departments from north to south of the state and the local community came to Warner Robins.

“It’s just to bring everybody together and make it a huge competition,” he said.

Competition is split into teams of five from each department. Individuals and children can also participate. 

The course is split into five sections. The challenge begins by carrying a high-rise pack to the fifth story, dropping the pack, raising the hose five stories with a rope, then dropping it. Participants will then run down the stairs and hit a weight through a sled with a sledgehammer. 

Then, they weave through a traffic-cone obstacle course, pick up a charged fire hose, carry it approximately 75 feet, and bust through a simulated house door, Shifflett said. From there, they spray a target on a cone, then drag a 200-pound mannequin 75 feet to the finish line. 

If that wasn’t challenging enough, participants also carry approximately 185 pounds of gear.  

This year, the Warner Robins Fire Department won first place, completing the challenge in one minute and 39 seconds. The Cartersville Fire Department was close behind, completing the challenge in one minute and 40 seconds.

Shifflett brought this tradition from his native Northeast. When he moved to Georgia, he noticed there wasn’t a challenge for firefighters to participate in and started one locally.

Shifflett said the competition gets bigger and better with each passing year. This year, there were more food trucks and visitors, including the Chick-fil-A cow and the armadillo from Texas Roadhouse. 

There were also more teams this year; Shifflett said, Cartersville and Waycross Fire Departments joined the roster. Once word gets out about the challenge, firefighters start training. 

“I love doing it; I can’t stop. I can’t wait until next year already, I’m already planning for next year, what we can do better and [how] we can reach more departments,” he said.

Shifflett anticipated more competition from both men and women this year. Fire departments from South Georgia and Hinesville are always tough, but this year, Warner Robins took the crown, which provided the training course and venue for the championship.

“I just want to thank the community and, more than ever, Warner Robins Fire Department for letting us use their training center. That’s been a huge relief off my back, trying to find another location. Four years in a row, Warner Robins [fire department] has stepped up,” he said.

Shifflett said he loves organizing the event every year and sharing it with the community.

“It just continues to grow and we can’t wait until our fifth [challenge] next year. It’s going to be spectacular,” he said.