Challenge Events
Place
Hoover, AL US 35244
Description
Welcome to the Alabama Fire Service Showdown!
hosted by Alabama Fire College, Hoover Fire Department, Paul Davis Restoration, and the 2025 Birmingham World Police & Fire Games
This fun competition event will be held in conjunction with the 2023 United States National Firefighter Challenge Championship event being held in Hoover, Alabama at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium (September 6-9). Our special one-day Alabama Fire Service event will be held on Tuesday September 5th at 10:00AM, with two category offerings: Tandems and Relays!
This event is free and open to any Alabama firefighter and/or fire department! Competitors will vie for Alabama bragging rights only NOTE: competitors who are competing in the actual U.S. National competition event does so by 'invitation only', meaning they have met certain criteria to qualify. Participating in the Alabama Fire Service event does not make one eligible to compete at U.S. Nationals.
About the Two Categories:
Relay Team Category Overview – In the Relay category, a team of three (3) to five (5) members from the same department can form a team. Depending on the number of team members, each member will complete one or more parts of the course before handing a baton over to another member. The members are in full turnout gear with air pack, but do not wear a face piece. Teams are seeded with their first race and then enter an elimination bracket based on their seeding time.
Tandem Category Overview – In the Tandem Category, a two (2) person team from the same department. Each member completes roughly half the Course, with the handoff coming before or after the Keiser Force Machine Evolution. The members are in full turnout gear, but do not wear a face piece.
IMPORTANT NOTE: all SCBA's worn will be provided by the Challenge thanks to our partner, 3M Scott Fire & Safety. This will prevent department issued equipment from being damaged.
HOW DO I REGISTER MY TEAM? PLEASE READ SO YOU DO NOT MISS ANY STEPS!
Only one member of the team should do the initial registration. We call this person the Team Captain. This is necessary so the remaining members of the team can easily join in our registration system.
TEAM CAPTAIN:
Step One: Select the category your team will compete in.
Step Two: Provide your bio information and sign the waiver form.
Step Three: Select CREATE A NEW TEAM and then use your Department Name as the Team Name. IF THE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE MORE THAN ONE TEAM IN A CATEGORY PLEASE ADD AFTER THE DEPARTMENT NAME AN ADDITIONAL UNIQUE IDENTIFIER TO LESSEN CONFUSION BY OUR REGISTRAR (i.e. ABC Fire Dept Team Red).
Step Four: Provide emergency contact information. This could be your department or significant other.
Step Five: Complete Registration
Step Six: Email your team members that it's time to Register. Provide them with the following information:
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Category Type (Relay or Tandem)
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Team Name
TEAM MEMBERS: Use the above steps/information from your Team Captain to register and join the team! During Step Three select JOIN AN EXISTING TEAM and enter the team name. NOTE: if the same department is registering for both categories make sure you select the team with the correct category type!
Event Contact Info
If you have any questions about this Event, click the button below.
EVENT SCHEDULE & SPECIAL RULES
EVENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday (Sept 5th)
-8:00AM Course opens for firefighters interested in practicing and receiving counsel from our course officials.
-9:00AM Check-In Begins
-10:00AM Relay Seeding will take place
-Following the seeding round will be the Tandem Category competition
-The Relay Category competition continues
Note: we will provide all registrants via email an estimated end time for this event once we have an understanding of how many competitors will be competing.
SPECIAL RULES
This event is considered a 'special event' under our rules and regulations. As such, the following rules/exceptions will apply:
AGE & GENDER SUBCATEGORIES: For this event we will not offer our normal age and gender subcategories. Teams formed can be a mix of all ages and genders and will run as one subcategory.
COURSE RULES: View Pages 10-13 of our Guide to the Challenge manual.
TURNOUT GEAR: View Page 15, Section 7.3 of the Guide to the Challenge.
BRACKET STYLE FOR RELAYS: Teams are seeded with their first race and then enter an elimination bracket based on their seeding time. The losing team of each match-up is immediately eliminated. Each winning team will play another in the next round, until the final match-up where the winner prevails.
BATON PASSING RULES FOR RELAY CATEGORY: View Page 17, Section 9.3 of the Guide to the Challenge
TANDEM CATEGORY BATON PASSING RULES: The Course is divided into two parts, and each competitor must complete one of the parts; the Keiser Force Machine is the delineator for the transition point. The decision as to where to make the handoff of the baton is that of the team and maybe made before or after the completion of the Keiser. The handoff must be made before mounting the Keiser or after completing the event (following the hammer being placed on the mat). It is up to the competitors to determine who does which portion of the Course.
PRIZES: the top three teams with the fastest times will be recognized and will receive certificates and medals.
FAQ's
Everything you need to know about the Firefighter Challenge can be found in our Guide to the Challenge. If you still have questions please use the Event Contact Info button above.
CANCELLATION POLICY
An Event Registration Fee is refundable only if First Responder Institute, the 501(C)(3) tax-exempt umbrella organization of the Firefighter Challenge, cancels the Event. For the avoidance of doubt, Participant is not entitled to any refund once Participant is charged the Total Event Fees, except as expressly set forth below.
Canceled and Rescheduled Events
You bear all risks of inclement weather. You also understand and agree that First Responder reserves the right to cancel the Event for any event that is beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, in the event of weather (and further including, but not limited to, pandemic, epidemic, heat, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, storms, lightning and floods), accidents, acts or threats of war or terrorism, military conflicts, riots, government order, law or regulation, national or regional emergency or for any reason that would in the sole discretion of First Responder affect the safety and security of Event participants and/or spectators or the feasibility of the Event. You agree to hold First Responder harmless from any claim of any kind or nature that you may bring that is related to any cancellation or disruption of the Event. In the event of an Event cancellation for any reason, there will be no refund of your payment unless authorized by First Responder. If an Event is canceled, and you purchased your Event Registration through the First Responder site, you will be permitted to transfer/defer your registration to another Event, as set forth below. If First Responder issues you a refund for an Event Registration due to a canceled or postponed Event, First Responder will issue a refund of the Event Registration Fee and for all service fees paid. If a refund is issued, it will be issued using the same method of payment that was used to purchase the Event Registration. First Responder is not liable for travel or any other expenses that you (or anyone else) incurs in connection with a canceled or postponed Event.
Refunds and Transfers
Before purchasing an Event Registration, carefully review your purchase. First Responder does not offer a refund of Event Registration Fees for any circumstances. You agree that you will not attempt to evade, avoid, or circumvent any refund prohibitions in any manner with regard to an Event Registration that you purchased. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you will not contact First Responder to seek a refund. You will not dispute or otherwise seek a “chargeback” from the company whose credit card or the online payment method you used to purchase an Event registration from the First Responder site. Should you do so, your Event Registration may be canceled and First Responder may, in its sole discretion, refuse to honor pending and future Event registrations made from all credit card accounts or online accounts on which such chargebacks have been made, and may prohibit all persons in whose name the credit card accounts exist and any person who accesses any associated online account or credit card or who otherwise breaches this provision from using the site in the future.
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