The 10th annual Santa Barbara County engine pull is looming, with organizers calling public-safety agencies, businesses and community groups to send their strongest and fastest.

The fire truck-pulling competition is part of an annual series of fundraising events tied to the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Funds generated go to the Special Olympics.

On July 28, teams of five people (and an additional reserve teammate) will be tasked to pull a 48,000-pound fire truck 25 feet away from it starting point on an asphalt path next to the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria. Categories include the fastest pull, lightweight and heavyweight teams.

Last year's truck weighed 18,000 pounds, said truck pull organizer Lt. Wes Maroney of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.

“The time average on that truck was between 14 and 15 seconds,” he said. With the new one weighing three times its weight, he said “it'll probably take teams between 15 to 17 seconds” to clear the full distance.

A Sheriff's department five-man team earned the bragging rights after clearing the distance in 13.75 seconds at last year's competition, which included teams from the Radisson Hotel, the California Highway Patrol and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Competitors in last year's event struggled mostly with getting the engine to wedge out of its immobile state. This year, they should expect the same, he said.

Advertisement

“The first ones are the ones to have a tough time,” he said. “Everyone else sees how the first team does it so you really don't want to be the first one to go.”

Should competitors want to prepare for the pull a head of time, Maroney advises to use a large pickup or an old heavy car and pull it using a rope. Or more simply, he said, wind sprints also help the legs prepare for the rush.

In previous years, the competition consisted of teams pulling a F-4 jet, which later became unavailable, and organizers elected to use an item nearest in weight. The truck pull was first used last year.

While the truck pull exposes a person's ability to work on a team, pull lots of weight and blush strenuously, it also generates funds from the team entries and sponsor donations.

Team entries are $200. Platinum medal sponsors cost $500; gold medal sponsors $300; silver medal sponsors $200; bronze medal sponsors $199 or less. The sponsor deadline is July 20.

Last year, the event raised more than $3,200 when the goal was $5,000.

As of Wednesday, Maroney said he was $200 shy of meeting his $5,000 goal, with 12 teams signed up already. Any team may sign up between now and the day of the event.

“I didn't think it would take off this fast,” he said. “People are really stepping up this year and supporting it.”

The county sheriff's and fire department are sponsoring the event, along with Costco, Gold's Gym, Iversen Motor Company, the Santa Maria Fairpark and local individuals, he said.

For become a sponsor of the truck pull or to sign up, call Maroney at 346-7430.

Luis Ernesto Gomez can be reached at 739-2218, or lgomez@santamariatimes.com

July 1, 2007