After a great performance in July at a regional qualifier in Niagara Falls, Ontario, the DND/CF Combat Challenge team competed against the best firefighting teams in Canada at the National Combat Challenge Championships, that were held this September in Windsor, Ontario.

	Members of the team left to right: WO Rioux, Cpl Vanzanbergen, Cpl Comeau, Sgt Amos and MWO Vezeau

The team, comprised of both military and civilian firefighters, entered the competition in style by rappelling down from a helicopter hovering over the center of the course. This awesome display gave the team the extra edge they needed to showcase their skills as one of the top firefighting teams in Canada.

The combat challenge is a physically exhausting circuit that simulates common firefighting tasks, which the firefighters attempt to complete within a two-minute time frame. The DND/CF firefighters accomplished their goal of beating the two-minute mark with great success, with most beating their previous best times by more than 10 seconds. The top DND/CF firefighter was Cpl. Darren Vanzanbergen, who finished with a time of one minute and 34.44 seconds - just 15 seconds off the world record. The team relay event, where each element of the circuit is completed by a different firefighter produced the team's best result. The relay team, composed of MWO Chris Vezeau, Sgt Marc Amos, Cpl Vanzanbergen, Cpl Bob Comeau and WO J.P Rioux, managed a time of one minute and 20.85 seconds, placing them 5th overall.

	Sgt Marc Amos seen half way through the circuit. He is hammering a large metal weight at a fixed distance simulating a forcible entry.

Other DND/CF firefighters from CFB Petawawa and 19 Wing Comox , with the support of their base/wing, joined the list of competitors taking part in the challenge and participating in this gruelling competition which promotes physical fitness for firefighters.This performance qualified the DND/CF Combat Challenge team for the World Championship held from October 28th to November 3rd 2002 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Out of 633 competitors at the World Championship, only 133 can compete in the finals and all of the members of the DND/CF Combat Challenge team proceeded to the final challenge obtaining the following results:
Cpl Darren VanZandbergen, ranked 44th with a time of one minute and 43.47 seconds
MWO Christian Vezeau, ranked 82nd with a time of one minute and 52.55 seconds
Cpl Robert Comeau, ranked 88th with a time of one minute and 53.86 seconds
Sgt Mark Amos, ranked 106th with a time of two minutes and 03.15 seconds
WO J.P. Rioux, ranked 116th with a time of two minutes and 10.47 seconds

Again, the team relay event produced the best result with the DND/CF Combat Challenge team finishing 8th out of 75 teams, placing them among the top teams in the world. This event was conducted in a single elimination fashion, where the teams advance only by winning every round. The DND/CF Combat Challenge team advanced all the way to the fourth round, where they lost to the defending world champions "Despite temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity all week, the team performed very well. Over all the team members all gained a great amount of experience which will be a great asset for next year" said MWO Vezeau.