Heat’s on world games in Las Vegas
Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2004 | 7:56 a.m.
More than 3,900 police officers and firefighters from around the world are vying for the gold in Las Vegas this week in the International Police & Fire Games.
The event -- which is patterned, loosely, on the Olympic Games -- started at the Riviera hotel Sunday night with an arm wrestling contest and will wind up this weekend with a variety of games, including basketball, swimming and a poker match.
This is the first time the International Police & Fire Games has been hosted in Las Vegas since it began in 1977, according to Michael Karstedt, treasurer for the Nevada Police Athletic Federation and investigative supervisor for the criminal division of the Clark County district attorney's office.
Seventeen countries are being represented in this year's games, joining together police officers and firefighters from countries such as Russia, Australia, France, Brazil and even Hungary, Karstedt said.
Several states are also competing, including California, Florida, Tennessee, Hawaii and Ohio, he said.
"Places like Florida and California always win a lot of gold medals," Karstedt said. "These are places that have 5,000 different agencies and larger departments than other states, so they're strong and always good competitors."
The Las Vegas Valley's police officers and firefighters "can still hold their own, though," he added.
"We have some really good men's softball teams," he said. "We're good at softball and good at bowling."
Two local teams took victories at Sunset Park in Henderson Monday night in the Men's Open Softball competition.
The Las Vegas Police & Fire team, coached by Metro Police Detectives Kevin Johnson and Chris Leveque, beat the Kauai Boys 25-4, according to Shane Robb, vice president of the Nevada Police Athletic Federation and director of softball for the event. The Clark County team, composed of several county law enforcement agencies, was also victorious, beating California Justice 23-3.
"Now the biggest competition will be if these two teams play each other in the finals," Robb said. "That's happened before and it's a big deal. Whoever wins gets the bragging rights until the next competition down the road."
The games also give police and firefighters a chance to make friends and network, Robb said.
"This event is huge in providing fellowship and even networking opportunities for down the road," he said. "You can make contacts at these events from all over the country and then down the road, you've got an investigation that involves a certain state's agency, and there you have a contact."
Metro Detective Jim Murray, coach for the Clark County team, said the event also gives officers a chance to "put a face with a name."
"There are several people I've spoken with on the telephone from other states, and then you meet them here and say 'Hey, I know you,' " he said. "There's just great camaraderie here for everyone. Everyone should come out."
Events are taking place daily throughout the city and are open to the public.
For a list of events, times and venues, visit the Web site at npaf.net.
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- Ensign moves out of home on C Street
- Cada and Moon emerge as Main Event’s final two
- Fight snapshot: Reviewing “24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto,” episode 3
- Life in the Limelight: Wayne Newton
- Cities, county find buying valley homes isn’t easy
- Motorcyclist dies in Summerlin crash
- Six people share their stories of what led them to jobs at CityCenter
- Two injured in shooting in central valley
- Buchanan was one of the city’s truly flamboyant characters
- Fight snapshot: Pacquiao is a hit with Jimmy Kimmel, and vice versa
Blogs
Robin Leach's Las Vegas Celebrity Watch
Final Five have two routines each on Dancing With the Stars
The Coin Bucket
Blue Man Group at half price for locals
Elsewhere
Findlay Prep's Bradley fitting in at Texas (2 Comments)
Now and Then
I went to a hockey game and a New Mexico women's soccer match broke out (1 Comment)
Politics: The Early Line
Attention in D.C. focuses on health care proposals (1 Comment)
Elsewhere
Fedor v. Rogers delivers solid ratings on CBS (5 Comments)
Bloggity, Bloggity, Bloggity
If you can rebuild the whole car, then why not allow an engine change? (1 Comment)
Calendar »
- 9 Mon
- 10 Tue
- 11 Wed
- 12 Thu
- 13 Fri
-
Jo Dee Messina at the House of Blues
House of Blues | 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
-
The Revival Tour at Beauty Bar
Beauty Bar | 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
DJ Tina T at Prive
Prive | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
The Automatic Tour at The Square Apple
The Square Apple
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati








