YORK Sponsors team in Firefighters Challenge
11/11/2004

Norman, Okla. - Members of the Norman Fire Department, who are competing in the 2004 Firefighter Combat Challenge®, are gearing up for the world competition to be held November 9—13 in Las Vegas, Nev.  Chris Beirne, Brian Edwards, Jack Ingram, Jeremy Morris and Mike Shuffield will carry the “Team York” banner to Las Vegas, having placed first in regional events in Manassas, Va., and South Portland, Maine, and second in competitions in Conway, Ark., and Oklahoma City, Okla., earlier this year. As of their last competition, “Team York” is the Grand National Champions and will have the prestigious honor of receiving leather jackets and trophies at the World Championship banquet hosted in the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on November 13.

Broadcast on ESPN, the Firefighter Combat Challenge attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments each year at more than 25 locations and is seen by more than 30 million people worldwide. The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession’s rigors to the public. Wearing full bunker gear and the SCOTT Air+Pak breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks, including a five-story tower, hosting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized 175-pound victim, as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.

York Unitary Products Group (UPG) is a sponsor of the Norman Firefighter Combat Challenge team, helping to provide the team’s entry fees, custom-made uniforms, bags to carry clothing, tent banners, travel accommodations, and expenses and gear that is approved for the competition. The company also holds a pep rally for the team. York employees and their families are invited to attend the event and participate in games and competitions that duplicate those the Norman team participates in during the Firefighter Combat Challenge. “Without York sponsoring us, there is no way that we would be able to compete in these Firefighter Combat Challenge events,” said Jack Ingram, team caption for “Team York.” “Because of the generosity of York, we are able to attend many events and compete with these great teams from across the United States. Its nice to know that we are part of a team outside of the fire service, and that York is cheering for us, along with the Norman Fire Department and our families.”

“Community and family values are part of a 130-year tradition at York International, said Doug Widenmann, UPG senior marketing director, “so it’s only natural that the company would want to support our firefighters here in Norman with a team sponsorship. This is one way we, as a company, can show our appreciation for the protection the fire department provides our families and the community in which we work.”

York is a brand of HVAC equipment marketed by York UPG. For more information about York, visit the company’s Web site at www.yorkupg.com.