The contests demand all from the men: first they have to run up the steps of a five story tower with a hose on their backs. Then a rolled up hose has to be pulled up by rope. After running down from the tower, they have to pick up a sledgehammer. With this, a steel I-beam has to be moved half a meter blow after blow. When this task has been mastered, they have to run 30 m with a full hose and spray a target. And finally a 90 kg dummy is waiting, which has to be carried 30 m to the finish line by the firefighters.
And as if these tasks were not challenging enough, they also have to be mastered in full PPE, including a connected SCBA unit. This is an extreme challenge for body and mind: "You have to overcome your personal limits and carry on, even when your entire body is aching", is how Henco Swart describes the gigantic challenge.
Not all equipment is the same