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Otho and Clare firefighters will test their endurance at annual Fight for Air Climb today

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
With the Otho Fire Department team and his own chief watching, Clare assistant chief Zack Gaul runs up and down the stairs in the Otho Fire Station recently. The workout is to prepare for their preparation in the annual Fight for Air Climb in Des Moines, a fundraiser for the American Lung Association.

OTHO — While most people are spending their Sunday relaxing, going to church or sleeping in, a group of Otho and Clare firefighters are doing something that’s anything but relaxing.

They’ll be getting a workout that involves going up a whole bunch of stairs during the Fight for Air Climb in downtown Des Moines.

Of course, there’s a catch.

They have to go up those stairs in full turnout gear: bunker pants, coat, helmet, boots and air pack.

That’s about 50 pounds of life-saving stuff.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Otho Fire Department chief Marty Smith helps Clare assistant chief Zack Gaul put on an air pack recently in the Otho Fire Station before he works out on the stairs. A team from Otho and several Clare firefighters are climbing stairs in full turnout gear today for the annual Fight for Air Climb in Des Moines, a fundraiser for the American Lung Association.

Which is exactly what the firefighters want to help do: help save a life. The event raises money for the American Lung Association.

Otho firefighter Jodi Smith will be going up 15 floors and 371 steps in the EMC Insurance Building. For her it’s personal.

“My youngest son, Lane, who is now 7, had many health problems in his first 7 months,” she said. “He was in and out of the hospital five times before he was 7 months old. He coded and they had to do CPR on him. Funding, research, anything to improve his quality of life for him is the main reason I’m doing this.”

An registered nurse at Unity Point at Home, Smith joked about the other reason she’s doing the run. Her dad is Otho Fire Chief Marty Smith.

“He made me do it,” she joked. “Okay, so he asked me. I still have to wear the gear, though.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Otho Fire Chief Marty Smith has his conditioning workout on a dry erase board in the Otho fire station as he and his team prepares for the annual Fight for Air Climb in Des Moines.

Marty Smith is not only the Otho fire chief, he’s something of the department’s elder statesman at 69.

“I’m probably the oldest down there too,” he said.

Marty Smith has made the run on several other occasions, both as an individual entrant and with a team from the department.

This year, he’s doing 16 floors and 324 steps in the Hub Tower. And this year it’s a team.

Firefighters Justin Hayes and Travis Stanberg are the other two members of Team Otho in addition to the Smiths.

Each participant runs a set of stairs in a different building.

Hayes is running 32 floors and 637 stairs in the Ruan Center.

He knows what he’s in for. He’s done it before.

“It’s a different ballgame when you put 50 pounds extra weight on,” he said.

Training for the event has been an ongoing process. Team members run around the fire station and up and down the stairs there. Sometimes, for extra conditioning, in their turnout gear.

“We’re all doing more than required,” Hayes said. “There’s little buffer there.”

Stanberg is ready for the challenge too. He’s doing 22 floors and 464 steps in the Financial Center.

“I can do the stairs,” he said. “I’m good till I put on the full gear.”

Jodi Smith knows something else that will slow him down.

“Cheese cake,” she joked.

Two members of the Clare Fire Department have been training with the Otho team: Chief Danny Licht and Assistant Chief Zack Gaul.

Both are going to do all four buildings.

That translates into 85 floors and 1,796 steps.

This is the third year Licht is tackling the whole course.

“Your legs are Jell-o when you get done,” he said. “You don’t have much feeling in them.”

He gets past that with encouragement.

“It helps there’s other people around,” he said. “It keeps you motivated, keeps you going.”

Gaul is going to be having his first gelatin legs experience. It’s not only his first time.

“Danny talked me into it,” he said.

Marty Smith said the teams were well beyond raising the minimum $100 needed for each participant.

He’s also proud that a high percentage of the money raised is used for research and education.

“Ninety cents of each dollar goes back into it,” he said.

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