On October 23, the 8th “Dian Zhong Cup” Firefighting and Rescue Workers Vocational Skills Competition in Yunnan Dian Zhong New Area and the 2026 Skills Competition for Various Forms of Fire and Rescue Teams kicked off. A total of 72 teams competed on the same field, including the Wenbo Road Station of the New Area Fire and Rescue Brigade, the full-time fire brigade of the Security and Guard Fire Department of Kunming Changshui International Airport, the full-time fire brigades of Xiaoshao, Changshui and Dabanqiao subdistricts, small fire stations in the communities of Liqi, Yunrui, Xiaoshao, Xichong and Shagou, and enterprise and community micro fire stations.

The events were closely aligned with real-world firefighting. Full-time brigades and subdistrict full-time teams competed in the comprehensive physical fitness drill on flat ground, the 100-meter obstacle course, one-person three-hose connection, rapid water delivery and control drill, single-mainline one-fire-engine two-nozzle operation, and two-person five-hose connection drill. Community small fire stations competed in donning personal protective equipment, the 100-meter weighted run, one-person three-hose connection, portable motor pump water intake and discharge drill, and water tanker single-mainline two-nozzle operation. Micro fire stations at key units were tested on donning personal protective equipment, portable motor pump water intake and discharge, and indoor and outdoor hydrant water discharge.

It is understood that the competition broke down category barriers by allowing members of community small fire stations and key-unit micro fire stations to voluntarily sign up for individual events of full-time teams, with their scores counted toward the team total, enabling frontline members and full-time firefighters to compete under the same rules. A referee told reporters that the competition was both a concentrated test of daily training results and a platform for diverse fire and rescue teams to learn from each other, and would further stimulate the enthusiasm of firefighting practitioners to learn skills, hone their capabilities and enhance their overall competence.

At the starting signal, the venue came alive. Competitors, wearing full protective gear and bending low, sprinted through the 100-meter weighted run and then quickly deployed hoses and connected couplings with crisp, clean movements. In the portable motor pump water intake and discharge drill, several team members worked together to lift the pump, connect hoses and start it; water jets gushed out and applause rose from the sidelines. On the other side, in the 100-meter obstacle course, competitors climbed over high walls, carried hoses across a single-plank bridge, deployed hoses, connected couplings, attached nozzles and sprinted to the finish line; some completed the entire set of movements within 20 seconds. Teams took the field in turn, demonstrating the solid standards of their daily training in realistic exercises and showcasing the drive and mettle of frontline firefighting forces.

“This competition is organized according to national and provincial competition standards, with the aim of promoting learning, training, evaluation and development through competition,” said a relevant official with the Dian Zhong New Area Fire and Rescue Brigade. The event focuses on improving the quality of firefighting talent development, raising the vocational skill levels of practitioners, fostering a knowledge-based, skilled and innovative firefighting workforce that meets the industrial development needs of the New Area, and laying a solid foundation for enhancing the capabilities of diverse fire and rescue teams in the region.

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(Editors: Jennifer, Flynn)