SIXTEEN firefighters from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) travelled to Manchester for the Annual British Firefighter Challenge that took place last weekend (29-30 July) and won first place out of a total of 20 services with the fastest three combined race times.

For the second year running, the GFRS team was also awarded a trophy for achieving the most amount of money for The Fire Fighters Charity, raising £2,755, overtaking last year’s total by over £1,000.

The British Firefighter Challenge is organised by firefighters, from across the UK and the world, to test their speed, skill and strength. One of the challenges involves running to the top of a three-storey tower, hauling a hose to the top and running back down the tower. The competition aims to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity which supports current and retired fire service staff and their families.

Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member with responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The British Firefighter Challenge is a fantastic weekend that pushes firefighters to their limits physically, but most importantly raises funds for the Fire Fighters Charity. Congratulations to our winning team, beating off fire and rescue services from across Britain! This is a fantastic achievement for those who have competed and completed this year’s challenge.”

Nathaniel Hooton, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said: “The competition was tough this year and there were some incredibly fast competitors. I know how committed to training for this event our team of firefighters were, they have achieved fantastic results and did our fire and rescue service proud. A great effort by all - well done team!

“I would also like to thank everyone who made donations towards the Fire Fighters Charity. The amount we raised is a fantastic achievement for a great cause.”

The firefighters from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service achieved the following results:

Matt Adams won Silver in his age category and Bronze Overall Male.

Teresa Waplington won Silver in her age category.

Sam Cushing, Matt Adams, Kai Weaver and Bobby Petrov won Gold in the Men’s British Relay with their team “Prorsum Sempur”.

Teresa Waplington, Ceri Large, Amy Lynex and Cailin Tyler (Leicestershire) won Gold in the Female Relay.

Rachel Smith won Silver with her all-Female Relay Team.