Competitors may have a maximum of one entry for each challenge category, which include Team, Tandem, & Individual.

• Registration

Competitors are urged to sign up early; enrollment capacity may be limited depending on demand. 

Teams and Tandems can be co-ed. 

Registration is accomplished by submitting a completed application and the applicable registration fee to 3132 Hudlow Road, Forest City, NC 28043 by August 31, 2010.  The RCFC Competitor Registration Form can be completed online at the RCFC website.  Registrations received in a timely manner will be confirmed on the website roster.  Registration will be considered as pending until full payment has been made. 

Any team, tandem, or individual not paid by the said deadline will be dropped from the roster – no exceptions.

• Check-in

All competitors must check-in at the designated check-in desk on the day of the event before 9:30am.  Competitors who fail to check-in before this time will be disqualified from all registered categories of the competition.  There will be no exceptions. 

The order in which teams, groups, and individuals compete will be determined by their check-in order - not by the order in which registration was completed.  All members forming teams and tandem groups will be required to check-in together. 

Competitors are required to show a picture ID and gear at check in for Course Official inspection. 

Competitors will be required to sign a release prior to the competition attesting that all provided information is correct and that the competitor is at least 18 years of age.

·         Staging Area

Once competitors have completed the check-in, a Competition Pass will be issued to each competitor. 

Access into the Staging Area will only be permitted if an individual is wearing a Competition Pass.  Any person not issued a Competition Pass will not be allowed into the staging area.  No exceptions.

Once competitor gear has been inspected, gear must be taken to the Staging Area and remain there until the competitor has completed all registered competition runs.

Competitors who remove their gear from the Staging Area before competing will be disqualified.

Competitors may leave the Staging Area during any time on event day.  Competitors who leave the Staging Area during the event are responsible for ensuring that they return to the competition area in time once called to the Competition Deck.

·         Competition Deck

Once competitors have been called to the designated deck area, they will be allotted an elapsed time of 2 minutes to arrive on deck.  Failure to have all members in decking area in the given amount of time will result in a penalty.  Failure to appear on deck within 5 minutes will result in disqualification of the team, group, or individual being requested.

• Run Order

Team/Tandem members must be on their event pads and remain there when the first team member leaves the start pad.  Team/tandem members who step off their event pads while another teammate is completing an event will be assessed a penalty.

It is only once a competitor has possession of the event baton that the competitor can proceed to complete their challenge event.  Passing of the baton must be made by hand to hand contact. 

The challenge baton can be laid down, held, or tucked in clothing while the competitor completes their event, however the baton cannot be advanced. 

Team members will be required to retrieve the baton before the next competitor can proceed. 

• Turnout Gear

All competitors must compete in their own most recent department issued bunker coat, bunker pants, gloves, boots, and helmet.  Hoods, face shields, and earflaps are not required.

Articles of turnout gear must not be removed or lost during the competition.  If dropped, they must be retrieved and correctly replaced by the competitor before continuing.  Items not retrieved and/or correctly replaced will result in a penalty. 

No revisions to turnout gear are permitted.  Competitors found to be non-compliant either during or after a competition will be disqualified.  Coats must be properly sized and cover the area of intended protection.  Officials will inspect all gear prior to participation.  Their decisions are final. 

• The Course

The course is defined by the distinct course boundary lines, and is in accordance with the distances and weights described in the course layout and rules. 

No one, other than the Course Marshal and the then said competitor(s), is permitted on the course during the competition.  Any competitor who enters the course during another competitor’s run will be disqualified. 

• Start

Prior to the start signal, the first competitor must have their hands on the start pad.  Failure to do so will result in a penalty.  Competitors who begin their run before the start signal will be assessed a penalty.  Teammates who begin their run before obtaining possession of the event baton will be required to retrieve the baton before the next competitor may proceed to the next event.  It is only once the competitor has possession of the event baton that the competitor can proceed to complete their challenge event. 

Team and Tandem members must remain on their event pads until the last competitor has reached the finish pad; failure to do so will result in a penalty.

The tandem groups will compete on the course that is divided into two halves.  Each competitor must complete one of the halves.  The halfway point, which is where competitors will switch off and pass the challenge baton, will be at the hose lift requirement.  Competitors must choose which competitor will complete this requirement before the group’s run begins. 

• Task Completion

All competitors are personally responsible for the completion of their task.  No Course Official has the authority to instruct a competitor in the events on the course.  Once a course requirement has been completed, competitors must cross over the next event’s pad before continuing. 

• Disputes

The Team Captain and the Course Marshal will resolve all disputes regarding penalties.  All of the Course Marshal’s decisions are final. 

Protests must be filed prior to the next set of competitors’ run or they will not be considered. 

Any competitor showing disorderly conduct during the event can disqualify their team, group, and/or individual self from the competition.

• Team Captain/Point of Contact

The Team Captain must ensure that all members of the team are aware  of the critical details, including start times, rules, regulations, and course details, dimensions, and weights. 

RCFC correspondence and communication will be directed to the Team Captain only at the address on record.  Team Captains are urged to keep contact information up to date. 

• Refund and Cancellation

Requests for refunds will be honored up to August 31, 2010; thereafter no refunds will be made. 

The event will be held rain or shine.  Due to unpredictable circumstances, such as inclement weather, the event can be cancelled at the discretion of the RCFC organization; in cases such as this, refunds will not be granted.

The RCFC organization will make every effort to complete the competition on event day.

For any reason, if the event is cancelled, awards will be presented to any qualifying runs already completed only if enough runs were completed to issue first, second, and third place for the current category (Team, Tandem, or Individual).

• Scoring

The run time will equal the total time it takes for the first competitor to cross the start line until the last competitor crosses the finish line.  Penalties will then be added to this time, creating the total run time.

• Awards

The shortest three total run times for each team, tandem, and individual competition with will receive a trophy.   Trophies will be proportionate in regards to the order of which the competitors placed.  Competitors of each three competition categories will receive an event medal (gold, silver, or bronze) in recognition of their achievement.  

Awards will be presented at the event after all competitor runs, judging, scoring, and competitor photos have been completed.  Competitors who unable to remain at the event to receive their award will still be recognized.  In this case, awards can be picked up at a later time.

• Emergency Calls

In the event that a competitor must leave due to an emergency dispatched call, the competitor will be granted an extension to their run.  The awarded extension run must be completed before awards are presented. 

In the event that a competitor must leave the event due to a call, gear removed from the Staging Area must be re-inspected before gaining access to the competition area.  Competitors unable to return to the event to complete their run before the award presentation will be disqualified from the competition.

·         Course Description and Rules

The RCFC Course Description and Rules are given in general terms and apply to all competition categories (Team, Tandem, & Individual).  It is the responsibility to of the competitor to ensure that they understand these rules.  A brief competition walk-through will be held for all competitors before the start of the first competition run, however it is possible that not all of the rules and regulations printed in this guide will be mentioned during the walk-through.

Any questions and/or concerns should be directed to Christina Samuel at rcfc@bellsouth.net, 828-305-2191, or the “Contact Us” link on the RCFC website. 

Any changes or modifications to the Course Description and Rules will be mailed to the Team Captain.