FireFit members from Medicine Hat compete during the 2025 Championships Alberta Regional Event held throughout the weekend at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede.--NEWS PHOTOS BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Fifteen of Medicine Hat’s finest demonstrated their levels of fitness, strength and teamwork over the weekend while competing in the 2025 Medicine Hat FireFit Championships Alberta Regional Event that tested firefighting skills and physical endurance in emergency situations.
The event times competitors while they complete the FireFit course, known for being “the toughest two minutes in sports,” that includes a series of events designed to replicate firefighting tasks, like hose advances and victim rescues.
Teams from across Alberta competed in the relay events that include seven tasks the team of competitors must complete all while wearing a full turnout of gear.
The race began with a high-rise/stair climb with a donut roll pull that led relay teams back down the high-rise of stairs, running hydrants, dragging housing, spraying targets and dead-dragging human dummies to safety, a challenge not meant for the faint at heart.
“Maybe sitting in the stands it looks like it wouldn’t be too bad, but I challenge anybody who has that opinion to come and try it,” jokes Medicine Hat FireFit team member Dylan Yankee. “You’re wearing full fire gear … So props to everybody who competed this weekend, they all did fantastic, we had a great weekend.”
The 15 firefighters representing Medicine Hat were split into three relay teams named Medicine Hat Iron Horse One and Two, and a team for the senior members.
“The Medicine Hat One Team, actually the Medicine Hat over 40-year old, because there’s no over 40 category, we ran against all the young guys” says Medicine Hat FireFit team member Jason LaBash lightheartedly. “So we had more experience because they had more youth on their side.”
That youthful energy would help the Medicine Hat Iron Horse Two team beat the Medicine Hat One Team during the bronze medal relay race held Sunday Afternoon.
The two teams went head to head in the FireFit Relay bronze medal race and were separated by just over a second between times. The young Iron Horse Two team would claim the bronze medal with a time of 1 minute 15:43 seconds while the senior team recorded a score of 1 minute 16:65 seconds.
“I mean there was a little bit of a delay by my muscles, I don’t really get to hang on, ” described Labash during the event. “I’m just at that age where you need a little bit more of a break or a little bit more of a warm up and stuff.
“But I was really impressed with the young guys. They did amazing, they worked really really hard, they pushed great, super competitive,” acknowledges Labash. “That’s the biggest thing, is leaving that legacy and keep developing.”
The event featured members of several Alberta detachments including Calgary, Edmonton, Lac La Biche, Okotoks, Drumheller, Grande Prairie, Syncrude, Blood Tribe and others.
Local FireFit members are competing each weekend across the province for their opportunity to qualify for the national FireFit Champion that will be held in St. Catherines, Ont. in September.
