TORRINGTON – Torrington City Fire Department won the 92nd Annual Wyoming State Firemen’s Association Convention this weekend, finishing with a cumulative time of 129.15 seconds. Torrington Rural Fire Department placed second at 129.17 seconds.

The margin of victory was two hundredths of a second, marking one of the closest finishes in the convention’s history.

The three-day competition took place Thursday through Saturday at Pioneer Park’s drill field and featured 10 teams from across Wyoming. Departments traveled from as far as Riverton and Lander to participate in the annual event.

The competition tests firefighters on skills used in real emergency situations. Events mirror scenarios firefighters encounter when responding to calls, requiring precision timing and teamwork under pressure.

Torrington Volunteer Fire Department hosted the convention at their facility at 2001 W C Street. The competitions were free and open to the public, with families encouraged to attend.

Team rosters

Torrington City Fire Department: Albert Lira, Mike Lira, Seth Norris, Brandon Gasseling and Cody Scott.

Torrington Rural Fire Department: Aaron Rutz, Matt Matlock, Michael Schuler, Taylor Walters and Justin Byers.

Competition format

The convention featured two main events testing firefighters’ technical skills and response time. Teams competed in both events, with cumulative times determining overall placement.

The Replace Contest took place Thursday at noon, followed by the Double Male Double Female Contest on Friday at 1 p.m. The Cellar and Wet Test was held Saturday at 11 a.m.

Penalty seconds were added to teams’ times for procedural violations or equipment handling errors. Several teams incurred penalties ranging from three to nine seconds, affecting their final standings.

Replace Contest

The Replace Contest requires teams to execute split-second hose replacements while maintaining critical water pressure. Torrington Rural posted the fastest time at 29.31 seconds with no penalties.

Torrington City finished second at 30.43 seconds, followed by Newcastle City at 30.45 seconds. The top three teams were separated by just over one second.

Five teams completed the event without penalties. Afton Mudflaps, Newcastle Rural, Lander and Riverton 2 each received three-second penalties for procedural violations.

Other results: Afton City (33.85), Wheatland (35.40), Afton Mudflaps (37.01 with 3-second penalty), Newcastle Rural (38.20 with 3-second penalty), Lander (43.84 with 3-second penalty), Riverton 1 (44.85) and Riverton 2 (52.18 with 3-second penalty).

Double Male Double Female Contest

The Double Male Double Female Contest tests advanced coupling techniques under time pressure. Newcastle City won with 37.67 seconds, followed by Torrington City at 38.57 seconds and Torrington Rural at 40.52 seconds.

This event proved more challenging, with six teams receiving penalties. Newcastle Rural incurred the largest penalty at nine seconds, while Afton Mudflaps and Riverton 2 each received six-second penalties.

Torrington City’s second-place finish in this event proved decisive in the overall championship, as their consistency across both competitions secured the victory despite Torrington Rural’s win in the Replace Contest.

Other results: Wheatland (42.28), Afton City (44.16 with 3-second penalty), Afton Mudflaps (51.42 with 6-second penalty), Riverton 2 (52.69 with 6-second penalty), Newcastle Rural (56.44 with 9-second penalty), Riverton 1 (103.04) and Lander (103.49 with 3-second penalty).

Final standings

Torrington City - 129.15

Torrington Rural - 129.17

Afton City - 143.89

Newcastle City - 144.57

Wheatland - 153.02

Afton Mudflaps - 162.82

Newcastle Rural - 174.56

Riverton 2 - 193.87

Riverton 1 - 209.55

Lander - 213.61

The competition was free and open to the public. A parade down Main Street followed the conclusion of Saturday’s events.

Background

The Wyoming State Firemen’s Association Convention dates back 92 years and serves as the primary gathering for the state’s firefighting community. The annual event combines competition with training opportunities and networking among departments.

Fire departments use the convention to benchmark their skills against peers statewide and identify areas for improvement. The competitive events are designed to replicate emergency response scenarios, testing the same techniques firefighters use during actual calls.

The convention rotates among Wyoming communities, with different fire departments taking turns as hosts. Torrington last hosted the event several years ago.

Weekend activities

Saturday’s competition concluded with a parade down Main Street featuring participating fire departments. The parade allowed the community to recognize both local and visiting firefighters.

The convention included business meetings for the Wyoming State Firemen’s Association, equipment demonstrations and social activities for firefighters and their families.

Awards were presented Saturday evening, recognizing individual and team achievements across all competition categories. The event also honored firefighters for years of service and outstanding contributions to their communities.