By CAROLINE STRAINIG
LOCAL professional firefighters have thrown down the gauntlet to other brigades competing in round three of the NSW Firefighter Championships, which will be held at Westport Park in Port Macquarie this weekend.
Port Macquarie Fire Brigade deputy captain Don Davidson said they were aiming for at least a top-three finish.
“Forget top five – we are aiming to finish in the top three if not better,” he said.
“We have been training well and have the home-ground advantage. We also really hope the public will get behind us and cheer us on, giving us that extra edge.”
Another factor in favour of a best-ever finish is that some of their fiercest rivals such as Dorrigo are resting after the Australasian championships in Tasmania a few weeks ago.
Davidson said the brigade would be competing in 12 different events during the two days, testing skills in setting up and deploying firefighting equipment quickly and safely in a competitive environment.
“The events are designed to be exciting and fun, but also had the more serious purpose of honing skills critical in emergencies,” he said.
Expert commentary throughout will ensure the crowd knows exactly what is going on, making the competition an even more enjoyable spectacle.
However, there will also be an educational side in the form of ongoing demonstrations of how to put out a stove-top fire correctly.
This was something the deputy captain himself had pushed for because he still found some Port Macquarie residents were using water, which was the worst possible course of action.
The championships will feature brigades from throughout the northern region and will run from 8am to 4pm on Saturday and 8am to 1pm on Sunday. Admission is free. Westport Park is on the corner of Buller and Park streets.
