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Hard ax to follow Peabody firefighter excels at 'Olympics' of his profession

By Matthew K. Roy
Staff Writer
Published: February 8, 2008

PEABODY — Firefighter Nick Mir trains at his alma mater.

He climbs the bleachers in Peabody High School's field house wearing a 40-pound vest. He goes up and down, up and down. Mir occasionally raises the degree of difficulty by donning a breathing mask that he and fellow firefighters wear into burning buildings.

Then he drags a 175-pound rescue dummy backward across the floor, again and again. High school athletes marvel at the 46-year-old's stamina.

"It's quite an impressive workout," Peabody athletic director Philip Sheridan said of the sessions that last an hour or longer.

Mir's hard work is preparation for the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, a national competition involving five tasks that simulate the physical demands of firefighting.

"It's the Olympics for firefighters," Mir said.

He has been at it for 10 years, using his vacation time to travel throughout the country and up to Canada to compete. In 2006, Mir was the state champion for his age category, 45-49. He is also part of a relay team that holds the state record. The city recently honored him for these accomplishments during halftime of a basketball game at the high school.

Mir was a running back on the football team and ran track at Peabody High School. He likes the firefighter challenges for the competition and the motivation they provide to stay in tip-top condition.

"It creates a goal to try to achieve," he said. "Everybody should have something to strive for."

Mir, who is 5 feet 9 inches and 210 pounds, wears all his firefighting gear during competitions.

He runs up a five-story tower carrying a 42-pound pack. He hoists a hose to the top of the tower before running back down.

He swings a 9-pound mallet to drive a 160-pound beam 5 feet. He maneuvers through a "slalom course," picks up a hose and has to hit a target with a water stream. And he drags a 175-pound dummy, known as "Rescue Randy," backward for 100 feet.

The event is timed. Mir's best finish was 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

"You got to stay cool," Mir said of his strategy. "It's mental, and it's physical. If your mind gets too wound up, then you screw up on the physical. So you have to try and stay focused on what you're doing."

Weather can be a hurdle. When Mir competed in Florida, temperatures peaked above 90 degrees.

"Most people either have endurance or strength, they don't have the real combination that this guy has," said Dana D'Mour, Mir's longtime friend and former junior high gym teacher.

Mir came to this country from the Dominican Republic when he was 7. He is engaged, has been a firefighter here for two decades, and his boss at the West Peabody firehouse, Capt. Greg Koulas, describes him as "an outstanding individual," always with a smile on his face.

Fire Chief Steve Pasdon said Mir's competition success "demonstrates his commitment to his profession." The chief said Mir's dedication to fitness and to his health and well-being serves as a "beacon" for the city's public safety employees to follow.

Mir has a simple philosophy about the competitions.

"My goal," he said, "is always to do the best that I can do that day."

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