Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service personnel have returned home from the World Police and Fire Games in New York with a "tremendous" tally of 20 medals.

Competing as part of Team NI, along with colleagues from the Police and Prison services, NIFRS competitors won 17 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. The gold medals were in Gaelic Football, Cross Country Athletics, Shot Putt, Hammer Throw and Push Pull event (bench press and dead lift combined).

Chief Fire Officer Peter Craig, who attended the Games as Vice Chair of the 2013 World Police and Fire Games Board, said: "We had 28 competitors from NIFRS who went out to New York to compete in the Games in a variety of sports and our return rate of success was excellent. There were some outstanding team and individual performances and I would like to congratulate all our medal winners and competitors on their successes at the Games. All the competitors were great ambassadors for their Services and for Northern Ireland.

"We now look to the future and two years time when Northern Ireland will host the next World Police and Fire Games in 2013. We will build upon our experience in New York to deliver a Games that competitors, visitors and local people will be proud of."

Public Safety Minister Edwin Poots said: "It is a great tribute to NIFRS that its firefighters continue to prove themselves to be amongst the best of the best. Picking up a collective total of 20 medals, including 17 gold, is a very impressive achievement. 

"Given the horrendous weather we encountered in New York, it shows how focused our firefighters remain in difficult circumstances. Knowing that their families back home would have been concerned for their personal safety in the path of an imminent hurricane, they certainly proved their resilience and determination to succeed."

The next World Police and Fire Games will take place in Northern Ireland from 1st-10th August 2013.

 

Photo: Chief Fire Officer Peter Craig with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service's gold medal winning Gaelic Football Team

 

Posted September 14th, 2011 at 1515 by Andrew. Comment by emailing: andrew.lynch@pavpub.com