Perth firefighter Jeff Dean and Chief Trevor Choffe bring global recognition to their hometown
PERTH — Competing against more than 350 elite firefighters from 22 countries, Perth Fire Chief Trevor Choffe and Perth firefighter Jeff Dean brought international recognition to their hometown at the recent World Firefighter Challenge in Dallas, Texas.
Dean placed ninth in the world in his age category during the gruelling timed event that simulates the physical demands of firefighting while wearing full gear. He finished only 0.86 seconds behind the seventh-place competitor, marking his best result to date.
This was Dean’s third appearance at the World Championships, and each year he has climbed higher in the rankings.
“They call it the toughest two minutes in sports, and it’s no joke,” said Dean.
For Choffe, this was a debut year. He delivered a strong first showing and captured bronze in the Fire Chief category.
“It’s a unique way to test your fitness,” said Choffe. “It was a lot of fun and definitely hard.”
The journey to Dallas started in 2023 when Choffe posted a simple motivational sheet in the Perth firehall titled “How to Excel as a Perth Firefighter.”
“He put up this values poster, and it really hit me,” said Dean. “At 45, I wasn’t physically fit for the job. I wasn’t the firefighter I would want showing up at my own home.”
The poster outlined guiding values, including:
• Put others before yourself
• Never walk past a problem you can fix
• Be able to perform your job
• Maintain a high level of fitness
• Be the firefighter you would want showing up at your home
• Keep the enthusiasm for the job as if it were your first day
“It ignited a spark,” said Dean. “I realized I needed to improve my fitness for myself, my family, my department, and my community. I was 30 pounds heavier and not in good shape.”
Dean began training daily. Within a year, he qualified for the World Championships in Florida. He competed again in Nashville the following year and in Dallas this year, joined by Choffe.
“Every year he has competed, he has moved higher up the ranks,” said Choffe, clearly proud of his teammate.
The Dallas event ran six days at the Brookhaven campus of Dallas College and drew top competitors from around the world, including Germany, the United States, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. The top firefighter in Dean’s division was also Canadian, from Edmonton.
“It was fun to represent a small town like Perth on the world stage,” said Dean. “That’s the message for kids in Perth too. You can compete nationally or globally, even from a small town, if you put in the work and show up.”
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