The competition was held over three days at Kelso, east of Bathurst, with the Tenterfield team trying to back up their success from July’s zone firefighter championships in Newcastle.

“We had a rough start and were running 16th by the end of day one,” team member Todd Mumford said.

By the second day of competition they were sitting in 11th but pulled themselves nearer to the top with a string of impressive displays on the final day.

“On Saturday we were on the podium in every event,” he said.

The team of Mr Mumford, Marc Kelly, Cole Crotty and Greg Blackler came in a respectable seventh from over 20 competing teams from around the state.

Mr Mumford said they were left wondering what it would take to win an event after they broke the state record in the urban pump suction event, only for two teams to then beat them.

“We can say we held the record for a couple of seconds before they pipped us to it,” Mr Mumford said.

They claimed bronze in that event, a second place in the urban pumper collector section and two fourths and two fifths over the three days.

After the 14 events were done and dusted the team from Dorrigo won overall.

Mr Mumford said they were looking ahead to next year where they hope to climb a few places.

“All and all the boys did really well.”

He said the community played a large part in getting the team there through fundraising efforts.

The collection of placing’s makes them the first Tenterfield team since 1967 to bring home medals from the competition.