by John Tracy
Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Anchorage police are squaring off with firefighters to find out who can be the biggest losers.

Teams of firefighters, police, paramedics and others involved in emergency services signed up Tuesday for the annual 911 Fitness Challenge.       

Teams of three to five people will spend the next 12 weeks working out to lose weight and gain muscle mass.       

Every team member is weighed and body fat measured to determine their base line.     

Anchorage firefighter Michael Dennis was on the winning team in 2006. This year he even coaxed his father and brothers into the challenge.       

"I lost 20 pounds and gained more than 5 pounds of muscle and it felt great," Dennis said. "It was the best shape I've been in since high school."

"I want to lose some weight and build muscle and I'm looking forward to working with my sons again," Michael Dennis' father, Joe said. "We do quite a few things together. That was the most tempting part."

Last year some 200 competitors took off more than 2,600 pounds of fat and gained 1,200 pounds of muscle.     

Teams still have until Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to sign up and weigh in at the Morrison Dealership in downtown Anchorage. 

Contact John Tracy at jtracy@ktuu.com