Fire and ice: Volunteers speed down Mohawk slope with skis, fire hose

CORNWALL — There was fire on Mohawk Mountain Saturday, but only because of the blazing hot speed of area volunteer firefighters’ skis and snowboards.The second annual Firemen’s Race, sponsored by the Farmington Firefighters Association and Mohawk Mountain Ski Area, brought out six five-person teams and benefited the burn center at Bridgeport Hospital.Fire trucks were parked in front of the ski lodge and firefighters donned full fire turnout gear and helmets. They schussed around in the snow prior to the race —and answered questions from onlookers, especially the youngsters.Teamwork is what fighting fires is all about. But teams found a new challenge in taking to the slopes while holding a 50-foot length of hose. Races were timed, but there were stiff penalties for not hanging onto the hose through the slalom course, or for losing a helmet.Cornwall team members insisted they were taking it seriously, despite joking around before heading to the lift for a practice run. Their strategy: “To win!” said Tim Curtiss. Rescue Captain Skip Kosciusko said after finishing fifth out of 12 teams last year, they were determined to do better this year. Before the race could begin, Kosciusko left to get the ambulance for an emergency call at Mohawk. A small group of fans thought they would be disappointed by a forfeit, but the team, including Connie Hedden and Ralph Dzenutis, made a surprising appearance on the downhill, and ended up placing first.

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