Gwinnett Daily Post

Firefighters are used to exerting themselves in extreme heat -- but this is a little different.

For the last four years, a team of Gwinnett County firefighters has taken the crown at the Atlanta edition of the Fight for Air Climb, an event benefiting the American Lung Association. While the cause is great, the actual task tends to take a little bit of the "fun" out of "fundraiser."

This year, firefighters and first responders will climb 64 stories at the Equitable Building in downtown Atlanta, in full gear.

"It's interesting," Jeff Dercola, this year's captain for the Gwinnett fire department team, said with a laugh. "In the stairwells, there's not a lot of airflow, so it's real dry. And it's obviously pretty hot."

The Equitable Building is technically only 35 stories tall, but participants have the option of competing in 32- or 64-story challenges, the latter basically involving completing the former twice.

Most on the Gwinnett team have opted for the 64-story race, covering 1,216 grueling steps, Dercola said.

In addition to a history of winning, Gwinnett County firefighters are typically the top fundraisers for the event that gives money to the American Lung Association to fight things like lung cancer, emphysema, second-hand smoke and asthma.

As of Thursday night, they had raised more than $5,000 for the event that begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, more than twice their nearest competitor.

"Gwinnett always does a great job," said June Deen of the ALA's Atlanta office.

Added fire department spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge: "The fire department is extremely proud of the firefighters who make up the Climb Atlanta team from Gwinnett County. The team's success in previous years is a demonstration of their overall commitment to serving the community."

Wearing everything they would to work a fire minus their breathing apparatuses, firefighters carry roughly an additional 30 heat-trapping pounds during the climb, Dercola estimated.

The team doesn't typically have any sort of organized training, but most participants train by "doing stadiums" at a high school or getting on a revolving stairmaster with a weighted vest, he said.

At last year's Fight for Air Climb, which was 50 stories, top times typically fell between 9 and 12 minutes.

"The competition and the camaraderie that we get with other departments is also something that goes into it," Dercola said, "but that's all really just fun. The main purpose is just to raise money."

For more information on the event, visit www.lungusa.org.