Firefighters target world records in aid of charity

Four firefighters from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service are aiming to break three gruelling world records when they take part in the Ipswich Half Marathon.

Crew Manager Paul Shattock, and Firefighters Grant Whitehead, Ashley Buxton and George Trott will be running the 13.1 miles on September 22 in firefighting equipment.

Paul is a Crew Manager at Bury St Edmunds fire station and Grant, Ashley and George are all based at Ipswich East station.

They aim to raise £10,000 from the half-marathon in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity, the welfare organisation which offers specialist and lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community, and for Cancer Research.

This is in remembrance of late colleagues Michael Matthews, Trevor Bryson, and Steve Simmons, plus many others from the fire service community who have died from, or live with, the effects of cancer.

Paul will be in full protective equipment and breathing apparatus and aims to set the record in what is a brand new category – the fastest half-marathon dressed as a firefighter with self-contained breathing apparatus and breathing air from the cylinder.

Grant and George are chasing the record for running a half-marathon while in full firefighting protective equipment and carrying breathing apparatus but not ‘under air’ – this currently stands at three hours and 10 minutes.

Ashley will be in physical training kit whilst wearing a breathing apparatus set, for which the record is currently two hours and 21 minutes.

A full set of fire kit – comprising boots, protective trousers and smock, and helmet - weighs around 100lbs (45kg), while fully-charged breathing apparatus weighs around 26lbs (12kg).

Paul said:

“It’s heavy kit and it’s going to be tough but we are doing this not just because we want to raise awareness about the fire service and its charity, but in memory of three much-missed friends plus other colleagues from the firefighting family who have been lost to cancer.

“We’ve all been training hard as we really want to bring those records to Suffolk, but we couldn’t have done any of this without the fantastic backing we have had from our support team.

“The bonds that you make in the fire service are very tight and that sense of teamwork is what drives you to keep going.”

 Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said:

“Just running the half-marathon under normal conditions is praiseworthy, but to set themselves the challenge they have is fantastic.

“I take my hat off to them and wish them all the very best. I look forward to them crossing the finishing line, to three new world records coming to Suffolk and a healthy sum of money raised for two very good causes.”

Anyone wishing to sponsor the firefighters can do so via their Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/team/sfrsworldrecord

For more details about the Fire Fighters Charity go to firefighterscharity.org.uk

For more details about Cancer Research go to cancerresearchuk.org