TO FIGHT A FIRE, USE A FIREMAN; GLENDALE'S FINEST GEAR FOR ADVENTURE.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Outdoors Editor

Climbing 15-foot walls, rappelling, running, working closely together to persevere through a plethora of problems along the way.

Sounds like a firefighter's training regimen, but it happens to be some of the disciplines competitors can expect Saturday at Castaic Lake during the national championships of the Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series.

That's why members of Team Firestorm - a three-man complement from the Glendale Fire Department - think they stand a good chance at winning the contest's men's division: It's more or less what they do for a living.

``It's just like in our jobs,'' said Team Firestorm's Eric Andrade, 33, of Seal Beach. ``We don't know what to expect. We have to put a game plan together and attack each event as it comes.''

Known for its ``mystery'' events, the Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series - part of a new genre of ``extreme'' races - throws surprise tasks into the primary running, cycling and kayaking elements to test the emotional mettle and teamwork of participants. (See related story.) It could be as simple as having to give up one shoelace before the run or as difficult as carrying a teammate across a wooden beam without the suspended person touching the beam.

Andrade and his teammates feel particularly suited for the event.

``They hit you with special circumstances and you never know what it is. We'll apply what we do in the fire service,'' said Bob Doyle, 34, of Saugus, a captain of a fire-truck company who doubles as the Team Firestorm captain. ``It's a chain of command. I'm the team leader and we apply the same process in which we do in the fire business: gather information, take input, make a decision and execute it.

``I think we have an advantage, because other people aren't used to working in that environment. The more of those elements of surprise, uncertainty, hardship - any of those types of obstacles - the better off we are going to be.''

Problem-solving aside, these guys - cookie cutter-sized at 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 and 195 to 200 pounds - are superior athletes.

Doyle is a former reconnaissance Marine - one of the ``genetic freaks of society,'' as he calls his counterparts, who at 200-plus-pounds can run 5-minute miles and bench-press 380 pounds.

In high school, Andrade was on the receiving end of Steve Beuerlein passes at Anaheim's Servite High School. He missed the cut during training camp with the Miami Dolphins in 1988, but he went on to play pro football in Italy, Edmonton and with the arena-ball Charlotte Rage.

Rounding out the team is Mike Richardson, 41, of Burbank, a former gold medalist in the California State Fireman Olympics ``toughest competitor alive'' decathlon - 100-meter swim, 100-meter sprint, 5K run, obstacle course, the number of sit-ups in 90 seconds and total repetitions bench-pressing 80 percent of the competitor's body weight.

Richardson heard about the Hi-Tec event from some Glendale police officers who participated last year.

``As soon as they told me, I said, `This thing sounds like it's something I'd enjoy doing,' '' Richardson said. ``This would be a great challenge.''

Challenge is clearly an important criterion for firefighters.

``We'd rather die trying than give up,'' Andrade said. ``That's how most firemen are. They are extremely competitive, no matter what they do, even playing basketball.

``It's that type of person who is attracted to this type of adventurous job. Sometimes a call is going to take everything you can give to put out a fire. And our job carries over to our personal lives, as well.''

Doyle agreed, noting, ``Our backgrounds are 100 percent conducive to adventure racing.''

``The motivation is to win,'' he said. ``It's a physical, mental challenge. And after being a fireman for so many years, that's addictive. There are some serious type-A personalities in the fire service.''

Forget about rain, the competition better pray for fire.

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PHOTO (Color) Saugus firefighter Bob Doyle, captain of Team Firestorm, trains at Castaic Lake for Saturday's Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series.

Tina Gerson/Daily News