The two top teams from the 2011 Firefighter Challenge battle during a water joust event Oct. 15, 2011, at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. The water joust pitted the civil engineers “Team Thundercat” against “Team RED HORSE” -- the civil engineers took the best two out of three attempts. The winning team members each received $50 and a Manas Fire Department T-shirt. According to Transit Center Fire Chief George Parker, “Although the civil engineers did win outright with a time of 11:46:03, the time had been reduced to 11:16:03 because they won the water joust. The joust cut 30 seconds off the original Firefighter Challenge time. RED HORSE came in second with a time of 11:46:56. It was an even match and the closest in the past four years.” (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Senior Airman Steve Tomasetti of the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron carries a 160-pound dummy during the 2011 Firefighter Challenge at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 15, 2011. Five teams competed in the timed challenge, which consisted of events like a fire extinguisher swap-out, fire hose carry, dummy lift and carry, and precision fire-hose shooting. This was the final activity here for this year's Fire Prevention Week. Tomasetti is deployed from the 143rd Airlift Wing, Rhode Island Air National Guard. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Capt. Eric Omundson of "Team RED HORSE" drags a 160-pound dummy during the 2011 Firefighter Challenge Oct. 15, 2011, at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. The challenge was the final event in this year's Fire Prevention Week here and was an opportunity for several different teams and dozens of spectators to participate in a friendly competition of strength and skill. Appropriately, the Firefighter Challenge was held in front of Pete’s Place, the all-ranks recreation facility named after New York City Fire Chief Peter Ganci, Jr. who was killed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Team RED HORSE took second place in the event with a combined team time of 11:46:56. Omundson is deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Staff Sgt. Danielle Cupp, a 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron defender, heaves a coiled fire hose Oct. 15, 2011, during the 2011 Firefighter Challenge at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Cupp was one member of the five-person ESFS team that competed against other units here, which included Civil Engineers, the Operations Group, Red Horse and Contracting. The Firefighter Challenge included various tests of strength and skill and was the wrap-up for this year's Fire Prevention Week here. Cupp is deployed from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Toft of the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron moves quickly through the fire extinguisher swap-out station during the 2011 Firefighter Challenge Oct. 15, 2011, at the Transit Center at Manas. The station was one of several designed to test participants' strength and skill in various areas of the challenge course. Toft was part of the winning team--"Team Thundercat"--from the 376th ECES. Toft a native of Elizabethton, Tenn, is deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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A 2011 Firefighter Challenge participant successfully hits a target during the precision fire-hose shooting event Oct. 15, 2011, at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Dozens of spectators turned out for the event, which was the capstone activity for Fire Prevention Week here. Five teams from around the Transit Center participated in the challenge; the civil engineers "Team Thundercat" pulled out the victory with a final combined team time of 11:16:03. The friendly competition pitted teams from the Civil Engineer Squadron, Security Forces, the Operations Group, RED HORSE and Contracting against each other in a number of events. Each individual from every team had to complete a timed challenge course with events like a fire extinguisher swap-out, fire-hose carry, dummy lift and carry, and precision fire-hose shooting. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Airman 1st Class Andrew Porter, 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group executive administrative assistant, concentrates as he drags a fire hose during the 2011 Firefighter Challenge Oct. 15, 2011, at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. The friendly competition--which was the final event during this year's Fire Prevention Week here--pitted teams from the Civil Engineer Squadron, Security Forces, the Operations Group, Red Horse and Contracting against each other in a number of events. Each individual from every team had to complete a timed challenge course with events like a fire extinguisher swap-out, fire-hose carry, dummy lift and carry, and precision fire-hose shooting. Porter, whose hometown is Beech Island, S.C., is deployed here from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Lt. Col. Bryan Dunn, 376th Expeditionary Operations Group deputy commander, is determined to get a competitive time during the charged handline fire-hose pull Oct. 15, 2011, at the 2011 Firefighter Challenge at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. The challenge was the highlight event to wrap up this year's Fire Prevention Week here. The friendly competition pitted teams from the Civil Engineer Squadron, Security Forces, the Operations Group, Red Horse and Contracting against each other in a number of events. Each individual from every team had to complete a timed challenge course with events like a fire extinguisher swap-out, fire-hose carry, dummy lift and carry, and precision fire-hose shooting. Appropriately, the Firefighter Challenge was held in front of Pete’s Place, the all-ranks recreation facility named after New York City Fire Chief Peter Ganci, Jr. who was killed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Dunn, whose hometown is Denver, is deployed here from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Tech. Sgt. Randy Stinnett prepares to open the valve on a charged fire-hose Oct. 15, 2011, during the 2011 Firefighter Challenge at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Five teams participated in the event where each member of every team had to complete a series of timed challenges, such as a fire extinguisher swap-out, fire-hose carry, dummy lift and carry, and precision fire-hose shooting. The challenge was the capstone event during this year's Fire Prevention Week here. Stinnett is a 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron boom operator deployed here from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. He is a native of Laverne, Okla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Bob Everdeen)

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Firefighter Challenge wraps up 2011 Fire Prevention Week

Published Oct. 17, 2011
By Maj. Bob Everdeen
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan -- Five teams from different units here competed in the 2011 Firefighter Challenge Oct. 15 to bring this year's Fire Prevention Week to a close.

The friendly competition pitted teams from the civil engineer squadron, security forces, operations group, RED HORSE and contracting against each other in a number of events. Each individual from every team had to complete a timed challenge course with events like a fire extinguisher swap-out, fire-hose carry, dummy lift and carry, and precision fire-hose shooting.

Appropriately, the Firefighter Challenge was held in front of Pete's Place, the all-ranks recreation facility named after New York City Fire Chief Peter Ganci, Jr. who was killed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The "Team Thundercat" civil engineers pulled out the win with a combined team time of 11:16:03. The event ended with a water joust event between "Team Thundercat" and "Team RED HORSE" - the civil engineers took the best two out of three attempts.

According to Transit Center Fire Chief George Parker, "Although the civil engineers did win outright with a time of 11:46:03, the time had been reduced to 11:16:03 because they won the water joust. The joust cut 30 seconds off the original Firefighter Challenge time. RED HORSE came in second with a time of 11:46:56. It was an even match and the closest in the past four years."

The winning team members each received $50 and a Manas Fire Department T-shirt.