ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Airmen assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing competed in the annual Fire Muster competition, Oct. 26, 2018, at Altus Air Force Base.
The Fire Muster is a contest arranged by the 97th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department during Fire Prevention Week, a week dedicated to educating base members about fire safety procedures. The goal of the event was to raise awareness about fire prevention.
“We put on this event for Fire Prevention Week,” said Justin Shipman, a fire inspector assigned to the 97th CES. “Fire Prevention Week was started to raise awareness so everybody is safe in their homes.”
While facilitating Airmen interaction, the fire department put on an entertaining competition that was also educational.
“I enjoy the interaction of the base,” said Shipman. “Watching people come out and have a good time all while we raise awareness is my favorite part of the event.”
Squadrons put together teams of six to compete in five different events: the Keiser sled, rescue Randy haul, fire truck pull, bunker drill and hose drill. The 97th Communications Squadron, 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 97th Medical Group, 97th Force Support Squadron and 97th Security Forces Squadron competed in the event.
The events were individually timed and then totaled; if any rules were broken, the team would have time added to their total. The team with the lowest total time was the winner.
When all was said and done, “The Nerd Herd” from the 97th CS was announced the winner with a time of 345.14 seconds.
Whether participants were part of the winning team or not, everyone experienced a glimpse of what firefighters might have to endure.
“I’ve gained a lot of respect for firefighters,” said Airman 1st Class Geordan Peterson, a cyber surety specialist assigned to the 97th CS. “I think the firefighters are great at what they do. I saw some of them do what we were doing and they made it look easy.”
The fire department hosted a friendly competition that allowed Airmen to have some fun and interact with one another. While participants were focused on blazing through the events, they were also receiving fire prevention messages. Events like Fire Prevention Week help reduce the risk of fires, making the base safer for Airmen and their families.