SAN MARCOS FIRE DEPARTMENT
The San Marcos Fire Department paid homage to New York firefighters Thursday at the SMFD Fire Training Facility with a series of workouts designed to reflect the hurdles faced by the FDNY on 9/11.
At 8:46 a.m., the time American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower, the firefighters observed a moment of silence before dividing into two teams of four to begin the Last Alarm Challenge. “We are completing events that the folks on 9/11 couldn’t finish,” said Firefighter Firefighter Jacob Hanks, who designed the Challenge. “We’re trying to simulate things that they did that day. … They would have not only climbed stairs, they would also have been moving rubble and forcing entry to rescue victims.”
The Challenge is divided into several sections, each corresponding to a task carried out by the FDNY on 9/11:
Stair Climb, 110 step-up exercises performed on fire truck tires. “This reflects the number of stairs the firefighters would have had to climb that day,” Hanks said.
Rescue Carry, a quarter-mile walk around the perimeter of the training facility, with all four team members carrying the 175-pound training manikin Rescue Randy on a stretcher. “This challenge simulates extracting a victim from a collapsed zone to a medical group or staging a way to a safe environment for treatment.”
Tools of the Trade barbell carry, which simulates the transport of equipment necessary to free people from the collapsed buildings, said Hanks. “This one is about bringing tools up to perform extrications, whether it’s lifting up with hydraulic tools or breaking concrete in order to free victims from rubble.”
Breach Point, which involves 20 swings with an eight-pound sledge hammer against the fire truck tires. “This challenge simulates efforts to force entry through steel doors and fallen debris,” Hanks said.
Debris Search, which is represented by a tire-flip. “When you’re in a fresh collapse zone, maybe you’re lifting up a piece of concrete, or maybe the back end of the car to free a victim,” Hanks said.
For Victim Rescue, the firefighters go into the training facility through a narrow doorway maze, then climb to the second floor to secure a manikin and carry back outside the training facility. “All four team members enter the training tower in a collapsed situation, crawled through several tunnels and around pallets in order to extricate an adult victim back down to the first floor for treatment.”
Hanks created the Last Alarm Challenge in hopes of reaching a younger audience. “I wanted to encourage them to participate in their own workouts,” Hanks said. The Fire Department had previously staged stadium climbs at UFCU Stadium, but the stadium stadium stairs did not accurately simulate stairwells, which are better represented by indoor stairs at the SMFD training facilities.
The stadium climb also presented a potential safety hazard for firefighters, according to Hanks. “Stadium stairs are a little awkward, we’re carrying 85 pounds of gear, and on top of that, with the hose bundle, we’re looking at probably 100 pounds of gear,” Hanks said. “I just don’t want to get anyone injured.”
The 9/11 tributes of other Texas fire departments inspired the Last Alarm Challenge. The Colony fire department also has a 9/11 workout, which Hanks used as a starting point to create his Challenge. “Mine is a lot different than theirs. I took the idea of having a workout challenge and with the help of my colleagues, I created all of the events.”
Another motivation for the creation of the Challenge was highlighting the new San Marcos Fire Department training facility. “It’s a way for us to show off our training facility and let citizens know how grateful we are to have this awesome place.”
