41.0°

Firefighters from around the state, in town for a conference, capped off a week of classes, drills and training with some friendly competition Saturday.

Broken into teams, including one composed of fire chiefs, the firefighters took part in traditional drills such as setting up hoses and racing up ladders.

The scheduled events also included "fun" competitions such as tug-of-war and the tongue-in-cheek "cat in the tree" competition.

"We all know that there are no cat skeletons in trees, and the best way is to open a can of cat food and they will come down," the organizers wrote in the instructions for the event, which involved rolling a can of cat food through a course.

Capital City Fire and Rescue Chief Eric Mohrmann said the competitions were a fun way to dole out bragging rights at the end of the Alaska State Firefighters Association and Alaska Fire Chiefs Association conference, which was held in Juneau for the first time in 21 years.

The conference drew firefighters from all corners of the state and included "world-renowned" trainers and a live drill on a cruise ship, Mohrmann said.

"The fire industry is always constantly evolving. By getting together we find out what works the best, where mistakes are made, and how we correct mistakes," said Travis Andersen, a firefighter from the Red Dog Mine in northwestern Alaska.

"Any time you can impart that information, not only in our community but statewide, that's a success," Mohrmann said.

Volunteer Valdez firefighter Steve Brockman said the conference helped reinforce the training class he recently finished. He added that he liked the sense of camaraderie in firefighting circles.

"You don't really get that much in other places in your life, but here you really get that feeling," Brockman said.

As for the competition, Mohrmann said his team of fire chiefs wasn't worried about the younger, more athletically inclined teams.

"We may not be the fastest but we've got more experience," he said. "We can always tell them to clean the bathrooms on the day after."