Firefighter Challenge®: The Challenge Goes to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting

Saturday, January 5, 2019

The Challenge Goes to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting

The American College of Sports Medicine hosts the 3M | Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge® at its 66th Annual Meeting, the last week in May 2019 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). The Worldwide membership of the college is north of 55,000; approximately 7,000 will be in attendance.

The Challenge will take place next door, on the parking lot of the Rosen Center.

For three days, Monday, through Thursday, we will welcome members of the College to organize three-to-five person relay teams, based upon their academic affiliation. We are recruiting Challenge Competitors to coach the teams in preparation for a seeding round run prior to the Finals.

The Collegiate Cup Challenge Championship will take place 9PM (2100hrs) Thursday night, under the lights, as 32 Colleges and Universities go head to head in an NCAA-style, single elimination tournament. Membership on a team requires a common educational, or HealthCare affiliation including undergraduate, or graduate student, or faculty member.

All team members will execute a hold harmless waiver and be issued a fire helmet and gloves for their race. Athlete apparel will be appropriate and supplied by individuals.

The basics: There are five linked evolutions, with a baton pass between each of the competitors. An instructional video may be viewed here: «in production; the link will be up shortly»

The seeding round will be used to populate the 32 brackets, with the first round of 16 races and 8 the next, etc. Advancement is not based on time, but the order of finish.

Time slots for practice will be made through EventBrite® on a first-come basis. Thirty minutes of course time will be allocated, with two teams per half hour. More practice time will be allocated, based on demand.

There will be a 2-hour occupational health and fitness Symposium on Friday, open free of charge for all active duty firefighters.

An official Regional Event will take place on Friday with Individuals and Teams with Tandems and Relays on Saturday. Start times to be determined.

All coaches will have their entry fees waived.

Questions: Give Daniel a call at the office: 301.421.4433

No comments:

Post a Comment

Dr. Paul O. Davis, Ph.D., FACSM

Dr. Paul earned his doctoral degree from the University of Maryland, School of Public Health, Department of Kinesiology where he placed major emphasis on the study of occupational fitness requirements and the quantification of work physiology. His dissertation on the energy costs and oxygen/lactate kinetics of structural firefighting was the first published study of its kind.

He has consulted for a number of law enforcement

organizations, including the NYPD, DEA, US Secret Service, Pennsylvania State Police, US Marshals Service, IACP and the FBI. Projects of note have included the development of job-related physical performance and medical standards for a number of law enforcement agencies. Dr. Davis has also conducted in-depth studies of the requirements for SWAT, K-9, and industrial security positions. Most recently under contract to FOH (Federal Occupational Health) he designed the entry and graduation criteria for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), IEAs (Immigration Enforcement Agents); the largest-ever hiring initiative (n=5,000). In another FOH contract he was part of an elite team tasked with a year-long embed study in the Southwest for the US Border Patrol to mitigate workers comp injuries.

As a consultant to the US Navy, he validated the Marine Corps’ PT test through a comprehensive JTA (job task

analysis) of essential functions in amphibious, jungle, desert and high altitude, cold weather operations.

An internationally recognized authority on the subject of

fitness standards and equal employment opportunity issues, Dr. Davis has participated in over 70 legal proceedings as an expert witness. In the seminal Lanning v SEPTA case, he won the accolades of the presiding federal judge as “the

preeminent expert on physical performance standards.” He has appeared on behalf of such organizations as the U.S. Department of Justice, OSHA, Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission, and the FBI, as well as many other state and local governments. He has also testified before the House Select Committee on Aging regarding performance-based health and fitness assessment and submitted invited testimony on Women in Ground Combat for the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Dr. Davis is a member and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and holds that organization’s highest level of certification. He has authored over 200 technical reports, manuals, articles and most recently co-authored with Dr. Bryan Sharkey the book: Hard Work, dealing with his research on the relationship between human physical performance factors and health.

His professional accomplishments were recognized with a Governor’s Citation for the State of Maryland. He is a inductee of the Fire Heritage Hall of Leaders, Legends and Legacies.Consistent with his lifelong commitment to promoting first responder health, fitness, and readiness, Dr. Davis is well known for creating unique public safety competitions including: the Firefighter Combat Challenge® (now in its 32nd season), the L.E.O.P.A.R.D. (Law Enforcement Officer Performance and

Reaction Drill), the World SWAT Challenge, the Army's Best Ranger Competition and the newly recreated Military Battle Challenge®. Throughout the years, these programs have

received very wide televised coverage on the ESPN, Discovery, A&E, CBS, NBC and ABC television networks and, as the creator and expert commentator, Dr. Davis provides color

commentary.