Southport Fire Department wins 41st annual Firefighter Freedom Competition
SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — Firefighters from departments across Brunswick County competed Saturday in the 41st annual Firefighter Freedom Competition, one of the signature events of the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival.
The competition brought together fire departments for a series of challenges designed to promote teamwork, camaraderie and friendly competition while celebrating Independence Day.
“We have this every year to promote a brotherhood and camaraderie among fire responders and just a wonderful fun time celebrating our nation’s independence,” Southport Fire Chief Charles Drew said.
Teams competed in events including the bucket brigade, command post challenge, firefighter relay, tanker tug and barrel push.
During the firefighter relay, participants raced to put on their gear before completing a series of obstacles, including crawling through a confined tube. The command post challenge required blindfolded firefighters to follow verbal instructions from their lieutenant while maneuvering fire hoses to fill small pools with water.
The competition featured a few lighthearted moments, including one lieutenant being knocked over during the command post event and another team accidentally spraying spectators with water, drawing laughter from the crowd.
The competition concluded with the barrel push, in which teams used fire hoses to push barrels in a tug-of-war-style contest, followed by a pie-eating contest before winners were announced.
Southport Fire Department claimed first place overall, followed by Winnabow Fire Department in second and Sunny Point Fire Department in third.
“Southport is one of the most patriotic cities in the United States of America, and you can just feel the patriotism in the air,” Drew said. “This event is just giving back to our first responders and showing people how much we support first responders and how patriotic that is.”
Click here for a full of events at the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival.
