Fort Gordon firefighters win world competition

Matt Williams had to share his excitement despite the time of day Friday.

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"We didn't get done until 1 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time)," said Williams, assistant chief of the Fort Gordon Fire Department. "I started calling people."

With the three-hour time difference, that meant Williams woke up quite a few people in the Augusta area at 4 a.m. with the news that the Fort Gordon Fire Department won the relay and tandem events at the world Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Nov. 4-8 in Las Vegas and Brandon Cunningham won his second consecutive individual world title.

"There were over 1,000 competitors," said Williams, who placed fourth in the over-45 category. "They came from New Zealand, South America, Canada, Germany, all over the U.S."

Williams said team members ran clean races in the event, which features tasks common to firefighters. During the timed event, firefighters move a 175-pound mannequin, carry a fire hose, climb a tower, chop and hoist, all while wearing full gear and the Scott Air-Pak breathing apparatus.

"People made mistakes, and we took advantage of them," he said.

Cunningham finished the event in 1 minute, 24 seconds.

This has been a banner year for the Fort Gordon squad. Last month, the team won the national championship near Atlanta. "It's unbelievable," said Williams.