Firemen show heart, strength in ‘Grinder’ challenge
Fire fighters from around eThekwini tested their physical and mental readiness at the Grinder Challenge.
FIRE fighters from around eThekwini tested their physical and mental readiness when the municipality’s Fire and Emergency Services Unit hosted the Grinder Challenge, a competition for all fire services personnel aimed at not only testing the physical strength of the individuals, but also helped to build team-spirit and boost morale.
According to assistant chief, Alex Gloster, manager of the eThekwini’s Metro Fire and Emergency Services training branch, the competition, started in 2012, is also used as a selection platform for the team that represents the municipality at the National Toughest Fire-fighter Alive Challenge, which is hosted annually in Cape Town.
Exciting challenges that spectators got to watch included Hose Drag, where participants had to pick up branches to extend the lines of a hose to 80-90m; Tower, where fire-fighters raced up a tower while carrying a 25kg foam drum. Other activities included the simulated victim drag and running up a 23-storey staircase at a beachfront hotel.
