Valley Fire Ready To Defend Trophy

The first place trophy has been on display at Station 1 for two years.

Seven Spokane Valley Fire District firefighters will run 69 flights of stairs in Seattle on Sunday in an attempt to keep it another year.

Valley firefighters will compete against 500, representing 80 other fire departments from across the Northwest, at the ninth annual Firefighter Challenge in Seattle.

The charity race takes place in the stairwell of Seattle’s 69-floor Bank of America tower. It raises money for the Leukemia Society of America.

For the past two years, Valley firefighters have beat 80 other fire departments from around the Northwest to win the first place trophy.

Racing up 69 floors in more than 25 pounds of fire fighting gear while breathing through a mask is no Sunday stroll, say those who have done it.

“You’re definitely sweaty when you get up there,” said firefighter Bob Leaming. He was one of the top placers on the Valley team last year.

“When you get to the top, you literally collapse,” adds teammate Dave Griffiths. Griffiths ran two years ago, placing second overall.

The winning team is determined by averaging the three fastest times from each team.

Valley Fire competitors started training for the race in November at one of Spokane’s toughest stairwells. Every three days, team members have met at the 21-story Bank of America in downtown Spokane. They’d run the building’s stairs six times in full gear with ankle weights.

Knokey said team members are in better shape this year than last year. They need to be. They are favored to win again this year.

“There’s more pressure on us certainly,” said firefighter Mark Knokey.

Knokey’s first place individual finish last year at 12 minutes and 12 seconds broke the course record. He came in far ahead of the bulk of the 500 competitors, many of whom take an hour to reach the top.

Knokey will be joined by Valley firefighters Rhys Evans, Bill Malpass, Andy Reilly, Hank Williams, Griffiths and Leaming.