HILLSBOROUGH -- Climbing five-story scaffolding with 65-pound air packs on their backs while hauling 100 feet of hose, firefighters got to the top and then pulled up a donut roll holding 47 pounds of 3-inch hose.

And that was just half of the Olympic course they had to cover in Saturday's seventh annual Firefighter Olympics, organized by Hillsborough Fire Company No. 2.

After racing back down the scaffolding -- which simulates an apartment building -- the firefighters had to take a 9-pound orange mallet and hammer a 165-pound weight, pushing it along five feet. It's not unlike using an ax to chop a ventilation hole in a roof.

Firefighters then picked up a hose, one-and-three-quarter inches in diameter, filled with water and ran 75 feet, squirting a target before getting to the piece de resistance, Rescue Randy.

Randy is the 170-pound dummy which competitors had to pull backwards 100 feet to reach the finish line. It's not unlike rescuing someone from a burning building or car.

It's exhausting just thinking about it.

"When you get to the dummy, you start talking to God and asking for the energy to just finish," said Bill Reiter, 60, who finished the individual event in 4 minutes, 41 seconds.

Reiter, a volunteer firefighter for 39 years, participated in the event, representing the Amwell Valley Rescue Services in Ringoes.

"It's really the hardest physical thing you will ever do in your entire life. The rope slips through your gloves," said Reiter, who has competed for the last three years.

"The dummy is dead weight. You want to kill it," he laughed afterwards.

"I just wanted to come and see what we're made of," said rookie competitor Paul Knudsen, 24, of the Schooley's Mountain Fire Department in Warren County, as he waited to compete."

Knudsen, weighing in at 242 pounds, said he wanted to see "what kind of shape we're in and where we need improvement."

"I finished, that's all I cared about," joked Jeff Dewar, 37, a fire captain with the Finderne Fire Department. The Bridgewater resident, who finished in 6 minutes, 17 seconds, is also a police officer in Bound Brook.

"People need to look to someone to help them in a time of need," Dewar said. "There's a certain breed of people who do this. It's happening less and less as people get busier and the training gets more detailed and demanding."

"If something has to be done, you do it," said Doug Matthews, 64, the event committee chairman. "I guess that is what volunteerism is all about."

Matthews, who has been with Hillsborough Fire Co. 2 for 37 years, referred to the "dedication, camaraderie" and amount of time firefighters regularly spend being trained.

"When push comes to shove, if your house is on fire, we're the only ones going in. There's a saying in the fire service -- 'Keep low. Keep cool. Keep moving in.' That's what these guys do," said Matthews, clearly moved by the spirit of the day and the volunteers who had gathered.

In total, 48 volunteer firefighters took part in the day's events. Of those, 33 men competed in the individual challenge. There were also team events. Fire companies included Amwell Valley, Bradley Gardens, Cheesequake, Finderne, Green Brook, Green Knoll, Hillsborough No.1, Liberty Corner, Middlesex, Passaic (Passaic County) Fire Auxiliary, Schooley's Mountain, Somerville and South Old Bridge.

Matthews said more than 25 volunteers from Hillsborough Fire Company No. 2 helped run the event, which is open to firefighters throughout the world.

To participate, firefighters needed to pass New Jersey State Firefighter 1 or equivalent training, said Matthews, who likened it to "basic training."

At the Olympics, rescue squad members also checked the competitors' blood pressure before and after their events.

"We don't want anybody getting hurt," Matthews said.

He said winners and finish times would be posted on the fire company's website (www.hillsboroughfireco2.com) within a couple of days.