The stairwells of Olivia Star have once again become the arena for the competition of two-person firefighting teams from all over Poland, who thus train their skills to provide assistance in case of emergencies in high buildings. Competing firefighters climb 34 floors of the Olivia Star in full gear, which also allows them to train their iron fitness, which is often needed for effective action in difficult conditions. Competing against other teams, they must climb 140 meters above the ground with equipment weighing as much as 20 kilograms and consisting of personal protective equipment, fire hoses or nozzles. Covering this distance is therefore quite an effort for even a well-trained body.
For the first time in the history of the championship, women also took part in the competition. Katarzyna Jakubek and Jolanta Chibowska from the school of PSP aspirants in Krakow competed for the victory.
"The impact of such an initiative is certainly huge, this kind of effort shows us what limits we can cross, which are mainly in our heads. When we overcome the crisis that tells us to "let it go" we can later do really a lot, showing in this strength and, above all, courage, which we must not lack during such activities. These may be simple things, but a firefighter always has to keep his or her cool, calm and composure, and during such events we can test our capabilities and train our doggedness and strength as a warrior ," says Katarzyna Jakubek.
"When dealing with real emergencies, we are often exposed to intense physical exertion and action in air apparatus. I think this is a very good initiative, because it hardens the character, allows us to break our own barriers and allows us to test the limit of the body's endurance. While climbing the floors, there is sometimes a battle with one's own mind and there are internal motivating dialogues. Such training shows us that all weaknesses can be overcome and one must not give up," confirms Jolanta Chibowska.
The winners of the seventh edition of the championship were the team of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Toruń, covering the distance in just 6 minutes and 14 seconds. Second place went to the team from the City Headquarters in Gdynia with a score of 6 and 21 seconds. Third went to firefighters from the Wejherowo District Command with a time of 6 minutes and 25 seconds.
The best two firefighter pairs will represent Pomerania in the national competition, which will be held in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw on September 14.
"The scale of challenges and the scope of firefighters' duties are increasing every year, and the number of incidents and interventions is also growing. Training allows firefighters to be prepared for a wide variety of tasks, so the championships held in Olivia are important for our firefighting community, as they help maintain physical fitness, which is an indispensable element in our operations. Training makes it easier for firefighters to be effective later in carrying out rescue and firefighting operations ," stresses Brig. Miroslaw Cyrson of the Regional Fire Service Headquarters in Gdansk.
