Crime & Safety

Murrieta Fire Dept. Takes Gold in Combat Challenge

The four-man team from Murrieta brought home a gold medal.

The Murrieta Fire Department competed in the Western States Police and Fire Games on June 5 in Ontario.

The kick-off event was a firefighter combat challenge, which is an obstacle course containing five job-specific events. Murrieta Fire Department went up against teams stretching from Alaska to Hawaii to Wyoming, finishing with a gold medal.

Members of the team were Fire Chief Matt Shobert, Engineer Dan Grassmeier, Engineer Garrick Eyman and Firefighter/Paramedic Ryan Roufs.

Find out what's happening in Murrietawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The group also qualified for the World Police and Fire Games, to be held in August in New York. There, more than 100 teams will compete in different classes. 

"Participation in the firefighter combat challenge is not only a test of a person's cardiovascular and strength training level, it also serves as an injury-reduction tool in a career that is very demanding on the body," said Fire Department Spokesperson Matt Corelli in a news release.

Find out what's happening in Murrietawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The team members have been training for months to compete at this high level, Corelli said.

"The Murrieta Fire Department strives to give the public a workforce that is prepared for any challenge that they might face in the line of duty," he said. "Through events and competitions like this one, the members of the department push themselves to be in the best shape both mentally and physically."

This year's Western States Police and Fire Games commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.


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