<\/p>\n
Three hundred firefighters representing 16 districts in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico competed in the annual Tri-State Firemen games in Cortez over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Roger Smith Avenue in front of the Cortez Recreation Center was transformed into a timed-event arena lined with hundreds of spectators cheering on their teams.<\/p>\n
This year it was the Cortez Fire Department\u2019s turn to host the popular games in which teams compete against each other on how fast they can handle various fire-fighting equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey go to classroom training in the morning, then blow off steam and have fun for the games,\u201d said Justin Lindsay, event organizer and Cortez firefighter. \u201cIt\u2019s a first for me and our committee putting it all together. The logistics are quite a lot of work, but its going well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The events range from one-man to six-man teams, and competitors don\u2019t know what the challenge will be until just before the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s putting together hoses, and working equipment under pressure as a team, and fast as you can \u2014 just like when they arrive on a fire,\u201d said Vicky Aspromonte as she timed the racers. \u201cThe times get faster and faster as they figure out shortcuts, better strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year the Gallup Fire and Rescue Department took top honors, beating out local teams Lewis-Arriola, Nucla, Mancos, Rico, and Dolores. As a hosting city, Cortez did not compete.<\/p>\n
Last year the Dolores Fire Department won the sweepstakes in Grants, New Mexico, and Mancos took home top honors in 2012. Since 1990, Nucla-Naturita has won the event six times. Cortez last won it all in 2011. Local fire districts won certain events in this year\u2019s competition. Mancos won the four-man event, and Dolores had the fastest times for the five-man event.<\/p>\n
\u201cTri-State really benefits rural firefighters who don\u2019t have access to training and professional development that large urban areas have,\u201d said Cortez Fire Chief Jeff Vandevoorde. \u201cIt is a good tradition that builds camaraderie between districts, and gives us a chance to see old friends and make new contacts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The classes and certification sessions are free for participating fire-fighters. Hazmat, officer transition, highway safety, extrication, water shuttle, and landing zones are all taught during the training.<\/p>\n
A festive beer buzz permeates the games portion of the event. A barbecue chow line wrapped around the tennis courts under sunny skies on Friday.<\/p>\n
The competition can get fierce, and the young men sacrifice their bodies for the team, occasionally wiping out on asphalt, and suffering minor injuries in the heat of the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d done better if I hadn\u2019t sprained my ankle,\u201d laughs a hobbled Milan Weimer, of Nucla. He rolled out hoses, connected them, and ran\/limped for the finish line in 60 seconds while sporting the team T-shirt that reads \u201cFirefighters: The Real American Idols.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of practice, nobody wants to come out and be embarrassed,\u201d Vandevoorde adds as he flips burgers and hotdogs on the grill.<\/p>\n
The tradition dates back to 1938, when Cortez first hosted the event as a way to help smaller departments.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is more professional now,\u201d says Cortez firefighter Kent Lindsay. \u201cWay back when, it would get really wild with fist-fights after close races.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tri-State offers rural firefighters a working vacation as well, and fills local hotels and restaurants.<\/p>\n
Justin Gorman and his team helped rack up points for the Gallup victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my first time. We\u2019re competing in all the events,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity to take refresher courses. The Cortez community seems really connected and likes to have fun. The scenery is nice here too.\u201d<\/p>\n
A portion of the winnings from the sweepstakes will go towards helping pay the medical bills of Jeff Bryan, of the Towaoc fire department.<\/p>\n
An accident led to Bryan\u2019s leg being amputated this year. His perseverance to recover and return to his post is a testament of his love of fire-fighting, said his wife Tanna Bryan.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe plans to return to the job. He\u2019s so tough, nothing will stop him,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019ll take hard work and time, but he has my support and the community\u2019s support.\u201d<\/p>\n