Courtenay Fire Department Triumphs at Firefit Competition

A team of Courtenay firefighters came home with an array of gold and silver medals from the Pacific Regional Firefit Combat Challenge in Langley, BC this past weekend.

The team members were Firefighters Savannah Siegler, Andy Quinn, Matt Rexin, Ian Robertson, Nick Levesque, Acting Lieutenant Ken Hryko, and Acting Assistant Fire Chief Jonathan Welsh.

Welsh said the team has been training hard for months to prepare for the event. “We were extremely motivated after last year’s event,” he said. “We did well last year but thought we could do even better. I’m very proud to be part of this team and how we represented the Courtenay Fire Department.”

The team competed in individual events, tandem relays and team relays, receiving medals in the following events:

• Tandem Mens NXG3 Relay – Gold Medal Acting Lieutenant Ken Hryko, Acting Assistant Chief Welsh
• Mens Over 50 – Silver medal Andy Quinn
• Mens Team Time(top 3 times of each team) – Silver medal, Ian Robertson, Andy Quinn, Matt Rexin, Acting Lieutenant Ken Hryko, Acting Assistant Chief Welsh
• Mens Relay – Silver Medal  Ian Robertson, Andy Quinn, Matt Rexin, Acting Lieutenant Ken Hryko, Acting Assistant Chief Welsh

FireFit challenges competitors to perform tasks commonly needed for emergency situations, combining speed, strength, firefighting, and rescue skills. The event hosted teams from British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alberta.