Twenty firefighter teams from across Florida will compete in the inaugural Pinellas Firefighter Invitational, presented by BASE Wealth Management. Four local teams will represent Palm Harbor Fire Rescue, Largo Fire Rescue, City of Seminole Fire Rescue and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.
The free event runs Nov. 2–4 at the OCC Road House & Museum, 10575 49th Street North in Clearwater. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. each day, and free on-site parking is available. pinellasfirefighterinvitational.com
Monday’s schedule begins with an opening ceremony at 8 a.m. Group 1’s preliminary round is scheduled for 8:45 a.m., followed by a lunch break at noon and Group 2’s preliminary round at 2 p.m. Results for the first two groups are expected at 5 p.m.
Preliminary rounds continue Tuesday, with Group 3 scheduled to compete at 8 a.m. and Group 4 at 1 p.m. Results and the announcement of finalists are scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday’s championship finals are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony. Organizers say the schedule is estimated and subject to change. pinellasfirefighterinvitational.com
The competition focuses on Rapid Intervention Team operations, with timed scenarios based on fireground Mayday calls. Challenges include searching for and removing a downed firefighter, forcible entry, air management and navigating entanglement hazards. The event is hosted by Pinellas County Firefighter Survival & Rescue Training, Inc., with the Florida RIT Operations Group as its competition partner.
