Kleefeld, Steinbach, New Bothwell and Grunthal Fire Departments were each represented by 3-5 firefighters at the Hanover Fire Fit Challenge Saturday afternoon at the Kleefeld Honey Festival. 

Organizer Jordan Pauls says there were four elements to the challenge that mimic something a firefighter might face on a call. The challenge includes a 100 foot hose slalom, followed by the tire sledge which mimics a forced entry, the 50 foot charged hose line, and ends with a dummy drag across the finish line.

Pauls says firefighters were timed individually and were ranked by an overall team time. “It may be an individual thing but we treat it as a team event. It's a team event at the fire hall and we always stress teams. If your buddy is falling you go there, you help them and you get them across the finish line.”

This was the first year the course has been set up in this way in Kleefeld, but Pauls says nearly a decade ago the Kleefeld Fire Chief was running a Fireman's Rodeo, and this event is to honour and mimic that. 

Pauls says there was some friendly banter between fire departments, but there could only be one individual and one team with the fastest time. The individual with the fastest time was set by Ellery Burton from Steinbach Fire, and the fastest combined time was from Grunthal Fire.