Streamlight, Inc. once again proudly sponsored the Firefighter Combat Challenge, an annual national fitness competition which culminated in World Challenge XVI November 4-8, 2007 in Las Vegas, NV. Streamlight sponsored the "Top 10" competition at the world event, which honored the top ten competitors with the fastest individual times. The company sponsored similar competitions at each Challenge regional event throughout 2007, as well as at the U.S. Nationals Combat Challenge, held October 12-13 in Clayton County, GA.

Designed to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public, the Challenge each year attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at 18 regional events, as well as national and world competitions. Contestants, competing on relay teams and as individuals, simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a series of five tasks, including climbing a 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. "victim" as they race against the clock in what has been dubbed "the toughest two minutes in sports."

The top 10 winners of the World Challenge are: Brandon Cunningham, Fort Gordon, GA Fire Department; Joe Almony, Travis Air Force Base, CA; Mike Melton, Travis Air Force Base, CA; Darren Hillman, Windsor, ON Fire and Rescue; Mike Gilbert, St. Catherine's, ON Fire Rescue; Charles Ammon, Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX; David Bowman, Charlotte, NC Fire Department; William Gates, Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX; Martin Odestig, Rancho Murieta, CA Fire Department, and Justin Earls, Dublin, CA Fire Department.

Top winner Cunningham also earned two other World Challenge XVI titles, competing in the open tandem, and as part of Fort Gordon open relay team. For Cunningham, who began his firefighting career in the Army, while the victory was personally satisfying, it was the camaraderie with his fellow firefighters that made the long hours of training and competition worthwhile. "The Challenge is a great way to keep physically fit to handle the job of firefighting," he said, "but the other reason I do it is for the camaraderie you experience interacting with other firefighters from all over the world."

"Firefighting is one of the most dangerous, physically demanding jobs in the world," added Brian Correia, Vice President of Sales for Streamlight. "We're proud to support this signature event, which encourages firefighter physical fitness and demonstrates to the public the challenges that professional and volunteer firefighters face on a daily basis."

To find out how your customers can enter in 2008, go to: http://www.firefighter-challenge.com