Fairfax County, Virginia, will host this year's World Police and Fire Games. The Games have been a tradition since 1985, welcoming law enforcement officers and firefighters from around the world to compete in a wide range of exciting sports competitions.
The Armed Force Benefits Association is a proud sponsor of this year's Games, which has attracted over 12,000 international athletes and 30,000 spectators over the years, according to the WPFG website. The 2015 Games, to be held from June 26-July 5, are expected to be one of the most successful Games so far.
The history
The World Police & Fire Games Federation, a nonprofit organization run by the California Police Athletic Federation, started the first-ever World Police & Fire Games in 1985. Since the first event took place in San Jose, California, the Games have taken place every two years in various locations across the globe, including Sweden, Spain, Ireland and Australia. The Fairfax Games will be the first to be held in a suburban area.
With over 60 sporting events to participate in, servicemembers, including corrections officers, firefighters, policemen and customs officers, have the opportunity to register for the events of their choice.
Who can participate?
All men and women who choose to participate must be at least 18 years of age and be employed as a law enforcement officer at the time of registration. They must have officer training, be a member of an eligible agency and have been appointed as an official servicemember by their agency. However, law enforcement officers or firefighters from an eligible agency who have formally retired are also encouraged to participate.
There will be 53 venues in Fairfax for the sports events, which include traditional races and competitions that often take place in the Olympics, such as track and field, hockey and boxing. However, the Games also feature special competitions like paintballing, rifle and ammunition tournaments, baseball and pocket billiards. Most events are separated by age group and all contact sports have different events for men and women. Over 1,600 medals are awarded throughout the 10-day event.
An opportunity to show appreciation
The Games would not be possible without the support and money raised by local, regional and national sponsors. President and CEO of WPFG Bill Knight told The Washington Times that he also hopes to have around 4,000 volunteers help the event run smoothly. It is a great way for Fairfax residents as well as friends and family of servicemembers to give back and show appreciation.
"Volunteers are the spirit of the games," Knight explained to The Washington Times. "For any games of this matter, they are the No. 1 resource. We rely on them even more heavily because these games operate under a much more modest budget than other games of this size. We've got a lot of diversity in this area. At the end of the day, we need to welcome the world. This is our opportunity to do that."
Those interested in volunteering can sign up on the WPFG website. Most volunteer positions require four shifts over the 10 days the games will be held. There are a variety of positions available, such as public relations and marketing operations, language services, on-site customer service and registration assistance.
After taking place in Fairfax this year, the WPFG has a set location of Montreal, Canada, in 2017 and Chengdu, China, in 2019. Opening ceremonies for the games will be at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium on June 26.