The United States Police and Fire Championships is an Olympic-style competition that originated in San Diego and dates back to 1967. The event was created to promote physical fitness within the law enforcement community. order.
“We have 50 events and typically 35-40 locations throughout the greater San Diego area,” says event director Jim King. “We expect 2,800 to 3,000 athletes.”
It’s a chance for law enforcement and firefighters to compete individually, one-on-one, or as a team against team. Many of the participants are highly skilled athletes, so you can expect the competitions to be very competitive.
“You can pretty much pick a sport. We have really good athletes and we have great teams showing up. We law enforcement, as well as firefighters, get paid and we get paid to serve. So all of our people train in their spare time or during their breaks from work.”
Peter Myers is with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and has been playing hockey since he was 4 years old. He plays goalie for the San Diego Law Enforcement Spartans.
“Southern California, and this event in particular, brings high level competition and a high level of skill to ice hockey. Southern California is becoming a real hotbed for ice hockey.”
Police and fire championships are all about fun and feature good rivalries across all sports. While everyone competing wants to win, it’s also about building friendships.
“It’s kind of like a family reunion,” King says. “There’s this family aspect that makes it really fun. It’s about camaraderie, the sportsmanship is exceptional, and we all try to represent our services to the best of our abilities.”
Just like in the Olympics, gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to those who finish first, second and third in their events.
