Coquitlam RCMP's top cop will switch from the red serge to a hockey jersey later this month to compete at the World Police and Fire Games in New York City.
The international event will host 15,000 police and firefighters competing in 65 sports and will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York and Washington D.C.
Supt. Claude Wilcott, a goalie, is one of 13 Coquitlam Mounties who will take to the ice for the games, which run Aug. 26 to Sept. 5. The other officers are: constables Kevin Bhandar, Chris Browne, Wei Chen, John Graham, Eric Lauzon, Shannon Myles, Shane Parsons, Kevin Pollock and Jason Windle, and corporals Scott Grimmer, Duane Ivany and Raymond Scott. They will play in the Open B division against two teams from Canada and one from Finland.
Yesterday (Thursday), the detachment held a barbecue outside of city hall to raise money for the trip and to wish the participants well.
Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Services will also send a competitor: Retired BC Lions receiver Bret Anderson will represent the city on the world football team. Several Coquitlam and Port Moody firefighters will also attend (their names and sports were not provided by deadline).
The World Police and Fire Games is the biggest multi-sport, Olympic-style competition.
In July 2009, it was held in the Vancouver area, with field lacrosse, wrestling, biathlon, toughest competitor alive, pistol and rifle action, and field archery competitions held in Coquitlam. Of the 10,000 athletes from 55 countries, at least 30 came from Coquitlam RCMP plus three from the Port Moody Police Department, who competed in golf, basketball and curling. Coquitlam Fire/Rescue sent at least 30 members while Port Moody Fire Department had two firefighters.
Started in 1985, the games are held every two years by the World Police and Fire Games Federation, a non-profit group run by the California Police Athletics Federation.
