In the world of firefighting, there are volunteer firefighters, and then there are firefighters who volunteer.
It’s 12 firefighters in the latter category who are preparing once again to venture into the fast-paced wild world of roller derby, challenging the local TerrorZ roller derby team in a match to raise money for the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund.
At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, the teams will mix it up at Columbus Skateland, 2660 N. Talley Road, with proceeds from the event being used to buy presents for kids in need at Christmas.
The two teams are hoping that as many as 300 people will fill the skating rink spectator area, and bring a few extra bucks to support a good cause.
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While the TerrorZ team easily outscored the firefighters for the first few years out on the skating rink floor, a new wrinkle last year put the firefighters in the win column — in popularity points.
The firefighters bring a couple of their boots — one for them, one for the TerrorZ — and spectators are encouraged to throw in a dollar for a point for their team. Those points go toward the final tally for the event.
Last year the firefighters didn’t quite get it done on their skates, but their antics won them enough popularity points for the win.
All the money in the boots goes to the Cheer Fund too, and bringing the boots back gives the firefighters an outside chance of winning two years in a row — something that’s greeted with a few eye rolls from the TerrorZ competitors.
“I really like watching the firefighters fall,” said Amber Payne, known as “Kauzin’ Payne” on the skating floor. “The crowd really gets into it. It’s my favorite bout of the year.”
Payne, who is the spouse of Columbus Municipal Airport Director Brian Payne, is in her fourth season with the TerrorZ.
While some TerrorZ matches this season have gotten pretty rough, Brian Payne said he isn’t too worried about the Skates and Ladders event.
“They will take care of the firefighters,” he said. “It’s all in good fun.”
One new feature of this year’s match is a married couple competing in Skates and Ladders.
Columbus firefighter Ben Noblitt, who goes by the moniker “Flying Squirrel,” will be skating against his wife, Heather Noblitt, who skates for the TerrorZ as “Lucky Harm.” She decided to give roller derby a try after seeing her husband venture out on roller skates to benefit the Cheer Fund over the past few years. It’s the first time the couple will compete against each other on skates.
“This gives it a little bit of an incentive,” Ben Noblitt said as he was strapping on thick knee pads and a skating helmet, which looks nothing like the fire helmet he normally wears on the job.
“All the girls said I should beat my husband up,” Heather Noblitt said, laughing. She acknowledged her spouse is pretty good at skating and roller derby.
“He’s good at anything he does,” Heather Noblitt said
The firefighters match is listed as a scrimmage. But over the past several years, it has become one of the top fund-raisers for the Cheer Fund, ranking up there with the chili cook-off in popularity and participation, Ben Noblitt said.
The firefighters were invited to a final practice Sunday with the TerrorZ. Although many of them were on duty and couldn’t attend, several went through the warmups with the TerrorZ and practiced drills designed to improve their skating skills in a crowd.
Capt. Dan Merz, a Columbus Township firefighter for seven years, is returning for his second year as a volunteer for the firefighter squad.
He’s seen the pain the TerrorZ can bring, despite many of them being smaller than the firefighters.
Merz no longer underestimates them.
“I got the biggest bruise I’d ever seen in my life,” he said of the time when he went head to head with a TerrorZ competitor at the rink.
The firefighters wear all the safety gear that is required of regular roller derby teams, from helmets to mouth guards and knee and shin pads — but the skate rink floor can show no mercy.
“I went down hard,” Merz said.
Early in the training season for the match, firefighters are taught the correct way to fall, the rules of roller derby and how to skate as safely as possible.
But firefighters have joked that most of the roller derby competitors are either EMTs or paramedics, which comes in handy at such an event. An ambulance is stationed nearby during the charity event.
While the match does get physical, as roller derby is known to do, the match with the firefighters is always a fun time, said Cody Richard, who goes by “Ziggy” on the floor as he referees bouts for the TerrorZ and serves as head referee for the league. The industrial engineering tech at NTN Driveshaft said he starting skating at Skateland as a kid, and started training to referee several years ago.
“The firefighters are always very comical, but very determined,” Richard said of some of the rookie antics they bring to the floor, which tend to make them crowd favorites. “Even though this isn’t their main sport of choice, they try their hardest.”
Roller derby isn’t an easy sport to pick up, and the firefighters are learning just how different skill levels can be at the practices, he said.
Brad Williams, a Wayne Township firefighter who is also an EMT for Columbus Regional Health, is back for his second year on the firefighter team after taking a year off when he and his wife Chandra had Brileigh, now almost 1, the day before last year’s match.
“They’re the reason I do what I do,” he said, nodding toward his wife and the children — Brileigh in her stroller, Brycen, 4, Alyssa, 11, and Michael, 14, who were all at the rink in the spectator seats to watch him practice.
Williams said the kids go through their toys each year to find gentl -used ones to donate to the Cheer Fund and the family helps deliver toys as well.
“I was a recipient of the Cheer Fund when I was a kid,” Williams said. “Without that, I might not have had much of a Christmas. So this is my way of giving back,” he said.
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What: Skates and Ladders, a benefit roller derby match between the TerrorZ roller derby team from Columbus and area firefighters
When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, doors open at 6 p.m.
How much: $5, with children 10 and younger admitted free. Spectators are encouraged to vote by donating $1 per point to the team they want to win by tossing bills in firefighter boots at the match.
Benefits: The Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund, which provides Christmas gifts for children in need.
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TerrorZ team
Adelea Dobbins — “Adelea the Hun”
Annette Deaton — “Twitch Blade”
Sam Rice — “Whomping Willow”
Devon Daniel — “DevILLish”
Teegan Harrington — “Frau Blockher”
Jaime Graham — “Cindy DropHer”
Amber Payne — “Kauzin’ Payne”
Heather Noblitt — “Lucky Harm”
Sarah Clark — “Katniss Evermean”
Beth Lemmerman — “Spaz Attack”
Kelli Adams — “Violent Emme”
Jenny Wilson — “Ginny Wheelsley”
Firefighters team
Ben Noblitt — “Flying Squirrel”
Nick Tuttle — “Live Action”
Josh Hanson — “MMMMBOP”
Samantha Smith — “SamSquamch”
Chris Owens — “Happy Killmore”
Nathan Barnett — “8PAC”
Brad Williams — “Roadblock”
Steve LeRue — “Capt. Crunch”
Seth Burton — “The Woodchippa”
Daniel Merz — “Maniac”
Ben Spencer — “Gingersnap”
Tom Barrett — “Bruiser”
— Source: Columbus Fire Department
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