GEORGE NEWS - The thrill of the 2025 Toughest Firefighter Alive South Africa (TFA-SA) competition is coming to George, the home town of the seven-time champion Emile Conrad who will be defending his title in this 10th edition of the competition.
The competition, presented by the Firefighters for Excellence Foundation, was previously hosted in Mossel Bay and it is the first time that it will take place George.
This was made possible through a collaboration between the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), hosts of the competition, and the Garden Route Mall where the contest will be held from 9 to 11 October.
Some 400 firefighters from over the country will be descending on George for this gruelling testing of endurance and strength.
GRDM Fire Chief Deon Stoffels thanked the mall for their cooperation and said George is the perfect destination with its attractive beaches around the corner from the mall where the manager, Rion Olivier, has welcomed the competition with open arms. The go-ahead has been given for it to be held in a section of the parking area.
GRDM Mayor Andrew Stroebel said it is wonderful to take hands with an organisation of this magnitude.
"We are proud of the Garden Route fire team, the best in South Africa. No lives were lost over the last fire season. Our main mandate is to save lives and also as far as is possible, property."
Conrad said the competition is known as the toughest firefighting competition in the world. "We also do it internationally. It is the main event of the world firefighting games and aims to promote excellence and elite fitness among firefighters. "
The competition comprises four stages and contestants have to complete each stage in five minutes.
Read more in next week's George Herald and online.
In the video below, Mayor Stroebel, Conrad and Stoffels speak about the event and Senior Firefighter Kerwin Lee-Gericke demonstrates one of the tests that is part of the competition - moving an 80kg dummy over a minimum distance against the clock while dressed in full kit:
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