Burlington Fire Department's Vehicle Rescue Team, the firefighters trained to free people trapped in crashed cars, will compete against rescue crews from around the globe at the World Rescue Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Wednesday, Nov. 18 to Monday, Nov. 23. The department announced the trip in a post on X.

The crew goes in with a podium result behind it: the department says the team finished first in the limited pit portion and third overall at a TERC Canada rescue event.

Most of this year's members will be at their first World Rescue Challenge, a junior squad eager to test itself on the world stage. Burlington itself is no newcomer: the organizer's team page says the city's crew last competed in the Azores in 2024.

The event is organized by the World Rescue Organisation, which runs international rescue competitions, and ABRES. Burlington is listed among the extrication teams, the crews that cut victims out of wrecked vehicles, alongside American squads including Largo FD's LXT.

The team says it hopes to bring back "the knowledge, techniques, and inspiration that will elevate the level of service they provide to their community."

Residents can help. The department is asking people to donate unwanted electronics to a recycling program whose proceeds support the Vehicle Rescue Team.