GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) firefighting team delivered an outstanding performance at the Dräger Fire Combat & Rescue Challenge in Johannesburg on 28 July, taking third place overall out of 25 participating teams.

Midvaal Municipality's two teams took the first and second place.

The GRDM team members were Emile Conrad, David van Niekerk, Branville Abrahams, Grant Gericke and Petrus Jordaan and they had to compete in various team and individual disciplines. 

The competition consisted of three different challenges, namely the Fire Combat Challenge, a Rescue Challenge and a Crossfit Challenge.

Out of 40 individual competitors, senior firefighter Emile Conrad scooped first place in both the Firefighter Combat Challenge and Individual Firefighter Crossfit Event. 

David van Niekerk ended second in the 40 to 49 age group category of the Fire Combat Challenge.

In the separate items, the GRDM team won the Crossfit Challenge, ended second in the Crossfit Rowing Calories Challenge and third in the MTG Confined Space (rescue) Challenge.

This year was the second time that the GRDM team participated in the competition.

The challenge was hosted by Dräger, in association with SA Emergency Care (SAEC), and was sponsored by Ram Couriers. The team will be taking part in the upcoming Toughest Fire Fighter Competition to be hosted in Mossel Bay in September.

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