Manama: Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the managing body and operator of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), took center stage at the 911 World Firefighter challenge held in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), where six representatives from Bahrain Airport Company’s Rescue & Firefighting Services were invited to participate in a three days challenge along with a large number of teams from around the world.
The challenge was organized by the Ministry of Interior and represented by the Civil Defense General Command, in collaboration with the UAE-based 911 Challenge and Reed Exhibitions, providing a series of unique motivational competitions that test firefighters’ basic fitness skills, stamina and innovation, as well as their capacity to exchange know-how with their colleagues, and raise awareness of the dangers of fire. It consisted of six key tasks that test firefighters’ basic strength and stamina as follows: Stair climbing, where the competitor climbs a 6-storey tower while carrying a 20 kg high-rise pack of hose; Hose hoisting; the competitor hoists a 20 kg roll of hose from the top of the tower;
Forcible entry; the competitor simulates a forcible entry by moving a hydraulic beam with a shot mallet; Running, where the competitor moves as fast as possible shouldering fire hydrants nozzle end for a distance of 43 meters; Hose advancing; the competitor shoulders and drags the nozzle end, advances 23 meters and hits the designated target with the stream of water; and Victim rescue; during which the competitor simulates a victim rescue by dragging an 80 kg Rescue Randy mannequin over a distance of 30 meters.
“It was a great pleasure and a rewarding experience being part of such a prominent group of some of the strongest, fastest and fittest firefighters from around the world. This challenge provided a great venue for BAC’s RFFS team to achieve impressive results coming in 24 place among 70 other teams from around the world,’’ said Mr. Mohamed Yousif.
“The UAE World’s Firefighter Challenge counts among the strongest and best contests in the world and is an ideal platform for developing firefighters skills and encouraging fair competition amongst them, in terms of speed, skills and fitness,” added Mr. Mohamed.
BAC is the authority responsible for enhancing BIA and increasing the airport’s contribution to the local economy in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision. In its operational role, BAC is responsible for elevating the airport’s operations, infrastructure and services. This is set to improve BIA’s capabilities and cater to the growing number of passengers as well as the changing demands of stakeholders.
