Daniel Jackman, volunteer firefighter with South Glengarry Fire Services Station 5 in North Lancaster, recently competed at the National FireFit Competition held in St. Catharines, Ontario. Firefighter Jackman finished with a personal best of one minute, forty-eight seconds to complete the grueling test of strength, fitness, accuracy and speed in the Men Over 45 division.
Deemed the toughest two minutes in sport, the FireFit competition is an annual series of regional competitions that start in Vancouver and work their way across Canada to Newfoundland, with stops in various communities to allow volunteer and fulltime firefighters the chance to participate. Firefighters compete as individuals or relay team members, in different age groups, and even categories including Volunteer, Rookie & Chief, completing tasks that are normally required in emergency situations – only this time it’s against a clock. The FireFit competition originated from an idea to help maintain physical fitness for firefighters who face an increased risk of cardiac arrest or coronary artery disease because of the exertion, emotional stress and exposure to heat & harmful substances.
Wearing full bunker gear – the protective coat and pants worn by firefighters – along with boots, helmet, air tank and mask which can weigh up to 75 lbs., competitors climb six flights of stairs carrying 42 lbs of hose. As they arrive at the top, the hose is deposited in a box, and the firefighter must now use a pulley to lift another 42 lbs of fire hose up to the platform where they have climbed. Upon descending the stairs, the firefighter then uses a sledgehammer on a Keiser Force Machine to move the wedge, simulating a forcible entry. Next, the firefighter runs a slalom course around fire hydrants to pick up a fully charged water hose which they must carry 75 feet and spray a very precise target. The last element of the FireFit challenge is to safely drag ‘Rescue Randy’ – the 175 lbs mannequin used for training to save people in emergencies – 100 feet to the finish line.
Firefighter Dan Jackman says by the time you reach the finish line, your legs are like Jello, but fortunately the amazing team running the event help with each competitor’s recovery by offering water, helping to remove the breathing mask, even assisting to get the firefighter into a chair. Firefighter Jackman says at the end of the race, there is just “no gas left in the tank”. Dan Jackman says that when he is in the middle of the competition, he wonders why he puts himself through this, but with a bit of a stubborn streak and the amazing encouragement from all the other competitors who cheer eachother on to do their very best, he is always happy when he finishes the race – especially when he beats a previous time.
Volunteer firefighter Jackman competed in two regional meets this summer, one in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and one in Stone Mills, Ontario. It was at Stone Mills that he won gold, achieving an automatic pass to compete in the Nationals for 2025. South Glengarry Fire Chief Dave Robertson said everyone is very proud of Dan Jackman’s achievements and his Station 5 coworkers even donated funds to offset some of the cost of Dan’s registration and travel. As a full-time pilot and volunteer firefighter, plus juggling family life, Dan Jackman has a very busy schedule, but his dedication to being ‘faster, fitter and stronger’ is evident in his enthusiasm and achievement in FireFit.