Video: Tupelo Firefighter Breaks Power Lifting World Records

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — A Tupelo firefighter is helping protect his city, while also making a name for himself in the sport of power lifting.

It is a few hours into his shift and Brandon Bruce is making sure everything on Engine 7 is working properly.

Like all firemen, Bruce works 24 hours and is off the next two days. During those 48 hours away from the fire station, Bruce spends time with his family, and he also loads and racks a lot of weights at the gym.

Recently, the 28 year old firefighter broke two world records at a power lifting meet in Philadelphia, Mississipi.

“The squat record was 760 and I pushed it up to 785 and the total record was 1934 and I pushed it up to 1965,” Bruce said.

Bruce says he worked hard to break the world records, and his fitness regimen also helps in his line of work.

“All the gear we wear , it’s pretty heavy, probably, 60 or 70 pounds when we get all our stuff on, and then , say we got another firefighter who goes down, we have to be physically fit to pull them out,” he said.

For firefighters, there is no such thing as a normal day, things can change in a second. For those who work with firefighter Bruce, they say it’s encouraging and reassuring to know that their colleague has such extraordinary physical capabilities.

“It’s not everyday you get to work with a guy who can squat a Buick, ” said Danny Giroux works with Bruce at Station 7 and says the power lifting champ is a great fireman and friend.

“To look at Brandon, he looks professional, he looks healthy, he looks in shape, I guess if you were going to have a poster child for a firefighter in Tupelo, he probably would be the one,” Giroux said.

Firefighter Brandon Bruce is proof that hard work, dedication, persistence and perseverance lead to great gains.

Brandon Bruce used to play arena football. He says he would welcome that opportunity again, if a local team is formed.