Volunteer and career firefighters from seven Tasmanian brigades will put their bodies to the test for a good cause when they participate in this Saturday’s Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb.
Crews from Devonport, Port Sorell, Perth, Ravenswood, Bridgewater, Sorrel and Seven Mile Beach will join 600 other firies from around Australia to climb 28 stories of the Crown Metropol Hotel using the stairs and carrying 25 kilograms of turn-out gear, including breathing apparatus.
Tasmanian Police and Emergency Services Minister and Braddon MP Felix Ellis will participate as part of the Devonport Fire Brigade crew in the charity event, which has set a goal of raising $700,000 for the Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation, Lifeline, and the Triple Zero Foundation.
Port Sorell volunteer Craig Joyce, who’s done the event twice before, says the weight of the equipment isn’t an issue, but body temperature in full turn-out gear gets hot very quickly.