About Us

OnTarget Challenge, Inc.
15312 Spencerville Court, Suite 100
Burtonsville, MD 20866

As unique as our properties, the principles of OTC bring to this endeavor a wide range of practical and professional experience. And, a team of individuals who know not only this unique market first hand, but have the national respect and experience from years of first hand immersion in that market.

Dr. Paul O. Davis, Ph.D., FACSM
For 15 years, Dr. Davis served Montgomery County and the citizens of Maryland in a number of roles, including firefighter/paramedic, Lieutenant/Instructor and member of the County Fire Board before joining the faculty of the Sports Medicine Center, Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Performance, University of Maryland. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and holds that organization's highest level of certification. Hailed as preeminent in his field by a federal judge, Dr. Davis has appeared as an expert witness in over 60 civil suits. He is the creator of the Firefighter Combat Challenge®, founder of the LEOPARD program. And provides color commentary on several ESPN® broadcasts.

Dr. Jack O'Connor, Ph.D., FACSM
At the time of his retirement from the US Army, Jack was the only infantry officer with a doctorate in Exercise Science. This unique combination coupled with his airborne, ranger and combat experience suited him well as the Executive Officer of the Army's Physical Fitness School where he lead the historic evolution of the military's approach to physical training. He received his doctorate from Arizona State and is a fellow of ACSM and a past Chairman of the Occupational Physiology Working Group. His current responsibilities at OTC include TV production and creation of the World SWAT Challenge and Conference, as well as directing OTC's support activities for the Army Ranger Challenge, the law enforcement LEOPARD Challenge and the US Marine Corps Super Squad Challenge.

Challenge Properties

The LEOPARD™
For almost as long as we have been running the Firefighter Combat Challenge, law enforcement has been asking us when we were going to launch a comparable product for cops. Last year we rolled out the national beta-test and followed up with a thirty-minute ESPN show. The LEOPARD Challenge is the marketing arm of a four-legged program. Our comprehensive and revolutionary initiative to fitness within the law enforcement community is a marked departure from the boring, staid, push-up and 1.5 mile-run academic approach. Using a high-fidelity replication of a foot pursuit course, the LEOPARD incorporates realistic shooting scenarios with eye and hearing-safe laser beams activated by theatric rounds that cycle specially modified weapons. Officers give us a thumbs up for excitement and fidelity to the job of a street officer. Clearly, we have struck a note of resonance within this community. Other LEOPARD components include the LEOPARD Club: an incentive-based, locally managed fitness award program. The LEOPARD CAT (Candidate Applicant Test) and LEOPARD Instructor round out the program. Using the model of the Presidential Fitness Awards, you can see the analogy for Leopard titling of awards, props, medals, ribbons and certificates. We will conduct approximately 15 US and 5 Canadian events this season.

Firefighter Combat Challenge®
The flagship program of OTC is the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge. We will enter our 13th season this year with a tour that will visit approximately 20 US venues and through our Canadian licensee, another 12 events. ESPN and ESPN2 have carried our program for the past 11 years. We also distribute the show through Armed Forces Network as well as international syndication. We own the home video and closed circuit broadcast rights. Approximately 3,500 firefighters from 750 unique fire departments participate annually. Since first bursting on the scene in 1992, the Challenge evokes nearly 100% unprompted brand recognition within this community. It is the longest running fire-related program on TV and generates media visibility at every venue.

US Army Ranger Challenge
Without a doubt, the most grueling competition on the face of the earth, the Ranger Challenge-makes the Eco-Challenge look like the Girl Scouts. From the backwoods of Fort Benning, GA, OTC's production of this annual competition has created awareness where previously there was none. The Best Ranger Challenge introduced America to the true modern Gladiator. Sixty straight hours of marching, running, climbing, crawling, swimming and shooting separates men of iron from mere super studs. It's impossible not to be moved by the sheer grit, determination, pain thresholds and dedication of these warriors. Since our first airing of this show in 2000, millions of positive household impressions have rightfully gained exposure for the Rangers. The reach of The Ranger Challenge includes every military base around the world and every American military ship at sea.

US Marine Corps Super Squad Challenge
The Marines are notorious for their scarce dissemination of awards. One exception is the winner of the annual Super Squad competition. This highly treasured medal for the best infantry squad is the crowning achievement of each Marine Division's squad-on-squad contest. For the better part of a week, Marines engage in force-on-force raids, ambushes, forced marches, military knowledge and marksmanship. Conducted and shot in a tactical setting, OTC is provided unprecedented access to war-fighting training at its most intense with all the trappings of live fire, blast impact and smoke.

World SWAT Challenge and Conference
Following on the success of our last year's National SWAT Challenge, we partnered with Blackwater-the largest privately owned tactical training facility in North America to create a first of a kind, World SWAT Championship. In year one, twenty teams from around the world will compete for high honors and bragging rights as the Number One SWAT team in the world. Even among the best, there can be only one number one team. The competition will be aired as an hour program on ESPN and distributed worldwide. Preceding the two-day competition will be a three-day conference and trade show. This highly visible event and telecast will define excellence in the law enforcement community.

National SWAT Challenge
We will be conducting our second annual National SWAT Championship at Spartanburg, SC this April. The impact of last year's program has created the intended awareness of this property and we believe 2004's program will establish the NSW as one of the premier shows for law enforcement.

In the Pipeline
For the out years we're working to bring to fruition the Zodiac RIB Challenge, a grueling, 27-mile paddle and portage around Kent Island, MD. Commandos from the branches of the US as well as foreign military units, public safety organizations and civilian teams will participate in this über alles Challenge. The event will kickoff with a helo-cast from the Narrows Bridge as the six-man teams haul their wounded comrade (a 165-pound Rescue Randy) and row their 150-pound Rubber Inflatable Boat over the beautiful setting on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Police Mountain Bike Challenge
Held coincidental with IPMBA's annual meeting, this is the ultimate combination of cycling and policing skills. Bike Cops are a unique breed and this highly visible and prestigious event has all the trappings of a great event.

Rescuer Challenge
Teams of 5 first responders compete head-to-head in an auto-extrication, critical care and transport exercise highly reminiscent of NASCAR emergency operations. Replete with jump suits, helmets and all the latest hydraulic rescue tools, the crash teams will have to surmount barriers, remove renewable roofs and immobilize for transport 'Rescue Randy Victims.'

Other program and event concepts we are in various stages of developing are: Motor Cop Challenge, K9 Cop Challenge, Equestrian Cop Challenge and the High-Speed Driving Pursuit. Also pending is the Guardian1s Challenge, an event tailored for the Reserve and National Guard designed to enhance recruitment.

MADD® (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) affiliation
Last year, OTC forged a partnership with MADD - one of the most admired charities in America. To this end, we have a built-in cause-related marketing campaign. We are in the formative stages of developing strategies that will mutually benefit our organizations. The linkage is a natural one if you realize that MADD cannot fulfill their life-saving mission without the assistance of law enforcement. Likewise, as an advocacy and victims assistance group, MADD has great synergy within the fire-rescue community. In the planning process is a National MADD Corporate Cup Challenge. Using the same props as the Firefighter Combat Challenge, corporations will field 3-5 person teams in a relay competition for charity. We envision that our efforts will result in considerable general market exposure with a half-hour TV show.