Several local firefighters are staying fit by participating in this year’s Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge.

The local firefighter combat challenge team is called Team on Fire for God and consists of six local firefighters within Pearl River County.

McNeill Volunteer Fire Department Chief Donny Leonard Sr. started the team in 2012 after he and his son attended a challenge the year before. Leonard said the goal of the challenge is to promote firefighter fitness.

“The number one killer for firefighters is heart disease, Leonard said. “A lot of firefighters are out of shape and it’s important to be fit especially when doing extraneous work in extreme environments.”

The challenge requires firefighters to perform various real-life firefighting tasks, including climbing a tower, hoisting up a 42 pound hose and rescuing a life-sized 175 pound dummy, all the while being timed, Leonard said.

This year, there are several regional events taking place across the nation.

Team on Fire for God is set to participate in two regional competitions in June and July at Tyler, Texas and Arlington, Texas respectively. In October, they will attend the world championships in Montgomery, Ala., where firefighters from across the globe will go head-to-head in the competition.

During these events, the team will spread the word of God in-between competitions.

“We offer Bibles to participants. We’re a bunch of Christians spreading God’s words while doing stuff we love,” Leonard said.

The team currently holds the title of Mississippi State Champions for the over 40 category in the challenge.

This year, the team is looking for sponsors to support their participation in the upcoming events. For more information, contact Leonard at (601) 590-4632.