Brampton firefighters take home 12 Gold medals at 2023 FireFit Championships

Brampton firefighters tested their mettle and took home a dozen Gold medals at this year’s FireFit Championships.

Members of Brampton Fire and Emergency Services (BFES) participated in three regional events and the Canadian Nationals for the annual firefighting skills competition, which is now in its 25th year.

Overall BFES took home over a dozen medals in the challenge, with one firefighter putting on a record-breaking performance to be crowned best in the country.

Firefighter Katherine Ross was named the overall female champion at the Canadian Nationals, setting the fastest time in the history of the sport with a time of 1 minute and 46 seconds. Ross was also the Female Individual Champion at the regional Port Elgin and Windsor events.

The awards for Ross didn’t stop there, as she also won Gold with teammate Jason Woodford in the Tech 2 challenge and a Bronze in the Mixed Relay along with Woodford and BFES members Brandon Graves and Matthew Webster.

BFES won Gold medals in the Mixed Relay, Female Tech 2s and Mixed Tech 2s events among others.

Mayor Brown praised the Brampton team at a Committee of Council meeting on Wednesday, calling BFES firefighters “the best in the world.”

Brampton has a long history of wins at firefighting competitions, including historic wins at the Firefighter Combat Challenge in 1996, 1998 and 1999, Several BFES members have been inducted into the FireFit Championships Hall of Fame.