The World Police and Fire Games are taking place in the British Isles for the first time.
The 20th World Police and Fire Games opened last night in Belfast, the first time the event has taken place in the British Isles.
The 10-day sporting event officially got underway at last night’s opening ceremony, in front of an audience of 14,000 people at King’s Hall. Over 7,000 competitors from police, fire, and prison services around the world are expected to take part in 56 sports, including the ultimate firefighter competition, the stair race, and the toughest competitor alive event, as well as more traditional sports such as tennis, cricket, and cycling.
The competition actually got underway over a week ago with the ice hockey, but the games are due to really kick into gear today with the start of swimming and track and field events.
Click the image for a gallery from the World Police and Fire Games. This gallery will be updated throughout the Games with new images.
The World Police and Fire Games is the third biggest multidiscipline sporting event in the world after the Olympics and the Paralympics. They first took place in 1985 in San Diego. This is only the third time the event has visited Europe.
Security concerns
The games take place in the shadow of recent clashes with Loyalist rioters in the city, and will be taking place under tight security. Extra police from other parts of the country are in the city to help with the operation. Organisers are keen to make sure that the games take place without incident, and emphasise that sport is the focus, not policing. They are tasking their 3,600 volunteers with helping them to deliver the “friendliest games ever”. There is also a hope that the games will enhance the image of emergency services with young people, and help to bring about increased respect for officers.
Free Download: The Video Surveillance Report 2023
Discover the latest developments in the rapidly-evolving video surveillance sector by downloading the 2023 Video Surveillance Report. Over 500 responses to our survey, which come from integrators to consultants and heads of security, inform our analysis of the latest trends including AI, the state of the video surveillance market, uptake of the cloud, and the wider economic and geopolitical events impacting the sector!
Download for FREE to discover top industry insight around the latest innovations in video surveillance systems.
