The Lugoff Fire-Rescue (LF-R) Explorer Post participated in the Explorer competition, held on Friday, June 28 at the South Carolina State Firefighters Association Fire-Rescue Conference in Columbia. The competition included Explorers donning fire gear in the male and female categories, team gear donning, and the hose deployment exercise.

A total of eight LF-R Explorers formed two teams for this event. They faced hot weather and tough competition from nearly 40 Explorers and seven teams from around the state of South Carolina.

Results

1st Place Male Gear Donning: Colby Blizzard

2nd Place Male Gear Donning: Breaden Wages

2nd Place Female Gear Donning: Anna Setzer

1st Place Team Gear Donning: Colby Blizzard, Breaden Wages, Will Parker, and Waylen Rhodes.

1st Place Hose Deployment: Lugoff Team 1 -- Waylen Rhodes, Kyle Cross, Breaden Wages, and Colby Blizzard

Led by advisors Dalton Robinson, Scott Vassar, Alice Downey, Talley Truesdale and Chris Jones, the LF-R Explorers had a rigorous training schedule. Explorers and advisors trained up to three times weekly to prepare for the competition.

Additionally, LF-R Explorers train each month with career and volunteer staff of the department learning the key components of the firefighting profession to be prepared for a paid or volunteer firefighting career at age 18. Youth are taught the department’s four core values of “Pride, Honor, Integrity, and Professionalism,” while learning the firefighting profession hands-on with certified firefighters.

“We strive to put ‘pride in our future,’” LF-R officials said, “investing into these youth who are to become future career or volunteer firefighters.”

Youth ages 14 to 17 interested in joining the firefighting Explorer Post are encouraged to stop by LF-R Headquarters Station on U.S. 1 in Lugoff for more information or an application to join the team.