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Firefighter 'Olympics'
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
WOODSTOCK — Call it the Quiet Corner Olympics. Takes place annually. Lots of practice. Some strategy (perhaps secret and otherwise).
And when the water cleared the Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association was the winner of the East Woodstock Fourth of July Jamboree water polo competition.
It was a hard fought battle among the Bungay Fire Brigade, Muddy Brook Fire Department and Woodstock firefighter teams.
The competition takes place on the road next to the common and pits two teams of four firefighters, facing each other holding fire hoses. Between them is a blue barrel. At the whistle each team sends a jet of water at the barrel. The object of this is to push the barrel over the far line. It’s much like a game of tug of war, sans the rope.
If the barrel spins off out of bounds the water jets are likely to hit the hills next to the road and anyone sitting in the front rows gets wet and/or muddy. The referee then puts the barrel inbounds and the battle continues. Teams rotate. The order of the firefighters rotates.
Lucas Young, captain at the Woodstock department, said the competition goes “as far back as we can remember.” He thinks maybe 40-plus years. The competition took a slight break when there were safety concerns, but then restarted, he said.
He said the teams all spend time with nozzle training. It’s a boost to camaraderie and it’s fun.
Asked about strategy a firefighter said “quick on the nozzle.” “First water” “fast water” is the key. And the water has to be targeted at the exact center of the barrel and “then maintain.”
Young said there’s no particular strategy on the order of the four firefighters. He said they all rotate in and out. “Everyone gets a chance,” he said.
Looking at a hillside full of “ready for a Tide commercial,” kids, the brave front rows were thrilled with the competition.
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The winners: Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association team. More photos Wed. night on our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photos.
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