HURONTOWN -- Firefighters are suiting up but there isn’t an emergency.
Hundreds of firefighters participated in the 59th Annual Copper Country Volunteer Firefighters Association.
“We have a good time. We have races and games every year, one of the departments hosts the tournament and this is our first tournament in, I believe, 22 years that we've done the last one,” said President of the Copper Country Volunteer Firefighters Association Dale Belanger.
The first game on the list is tug of war.
As firefighters firmly grip the end of the fire hose, they use all of their strength to pull the opposing team out of the square.
This year’s winning team is Ahmeek.
The tournament isn’t just fun and games. Retired Chief of the Houghton County Fire Department Jim Lightfoot took home the Firefighter of the Year Award.
“I don’t know if I can put that into words because I had no idea that this was going to happen. They kept it from me and so did my wife for about a week or a week and a half. It means a lot,” said Lightfoot.
Copper Harbor also won an award.
“We won Fire Department of the Year. That’s a big honor,” said Copper Harbor Fire Chief Tom Boost.
Next year’s tournament will be in the city of Hancock.
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