Airman First Class Timothy Vanden Haak, a firefighter at Whiteman Air Force Base, runs from a Kaiser sled to the next portion of his event during the 2009 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, Nov. 16 (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Carlin Leslie).

LAS VEGAS-- Air Force firefighters ranked number one in the world in the over-40 relay competition and placed in the top 10 in several other events at the culmination of the five-day 2009 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge here.

Firefighters from Whiteman Air Force Base were ranked No. 1 in the Air Force and fourth in the world in the coed tandem competition.

"This event promotes fitness and shows that we don't just sit around waiting for calls," said Corey McGee, a firefighter from Whiteman AFB coed team.

"When people watch this competition, it gives them confidence to know that we can pull them out of a burning building," he said.

The Air Force Academy team from Colorado Springs, Colo., placed first in the world in the over-40 relay event with a time of 1:19 and second in the over-40 tandem and regular men's relay events.

"The over-40 Academy team just started a year ago and I've had a desk job for 13 years; it's nice to have a way to get back out and focus on the basics," said Ken Helgerson, a retired Air Force firefighter on the AFA over-40 team.

Firefighters from more than 600 fire departments, from countries as far away as New Zealand, competed in events, including the coed tandem event.

Las Vegas spectators watched more than 3,000 firefighters compete in similar events that comprised climbing a five-story tower, hoisting and chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized 175-pound "victim," while racing against themselves, their opponents and the clock.

To make the event even more challenging, participants wore their full bunker gear, including an air-breathing apparatus, throughout the competition, constantly testing their fitness level.

Senior Airman Megan Melanson, a firefighter at Whiteman Air Force Base, stands atop a five-story tower in the first leg of her tandem run of the challenge (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Carlin Leslie).

"This really supports the firefighter fitness program," Helgerson said. "It gets folks better at their day-to-day job and this is the perfect mechanism to get fit to fight. Since last year, the five of us on the over-40 team combined have lost close to 100 pounds."

Getting in shape, knowing your limits and learning from and befriending other firefighters from around the world is what Paul Davis, the firefighter combat challenge founder, hopes for at every competition.

"This is our 18th season, and we have interest in the event from around the world," he said.

"It's a hard thing for many people to understand; the camaraderie is a lot like the military, they share a common interest in the protection of life and property and I think it's that uniqueness coupled with an athletic arena produces the most fascinating kind of competition," Davis said.