World Police and Fire Games

World Police and Fire Games logo

The World Police and Fire Games are a kind of Olympic Games for members of the police forces (federal and state police), the penal service , customs and the professional fire departments , which take place every two years.

history

In 1967, the Deputy Head of the San Diego Police Department, Duke Nyhus, launched the national California Games . Due to the enormous popularity, the number of participants grew. The first World Police & Fire Games were held in San José as early as 1985. The aim of the World Sports Games was to bring the members of the various professional groups together, to compete in sports, to increase the performance of the members of the emergency services and to create friendly relationships with one another, to promote understanding of the work of the other and to act as role models.

The World Police & Fire Games are now one of the three largest sporting events of their kind in the world: In 1997, 8,700 athletes from 45 nations came to Calgary , Canada , and over 9,000 people volunteered. In 2003 in Barcelona more than 10,500 athletes from 64 nations competed in 65 different sports for the coveted medals.

The games

The world sports games of the police and fire brigade will for the first time in 2007 include 79 different sports instead of the usual 65 disciplines. Many new competitions have been introduced by the Australian hosts to make this spectacle even more attractive. The sports offered include traditional Olympic disciplines such as athletics , swimming , martial arts and various team sports, as well as job-specific comparative competitions such as police dog tests, MP shooting , police action pistol (special police-related shooting) or samples (a fire-fighting test for fire fighters). There are also disciplines such as bowling , darts , dragon boat races and billiards on the program, so that retirees can also take part. A special feature is the Toughest Competitor Alive : 5 km race, shot put , 100 m sprint , 100 m swim, rope climbing (6.1 m), bench press , pull-ups (upper hand grip), obstacle course .

As with the great role model of the Olympic Games , the World Police and Fire Games also begin with a grand opening ceremony. This sporting event is characterized by professional competitions, an average level of performance of the participating athletes and friendly and fair interaction with one another.