Firefighters celebrated in Games and a new park
The opening of new park dedicated to firefighters throughout the world will coincide with the start of the seventh World
Firefighters Games, to be held in Christchurch from 26 October – 2 November. Work begins shortly on the Firefighters
Reserve on the corner of Madras Street and Kilmore Street, next to the central fire station.
“This year the games will be known as the Memorial Games, in honour of firefighters who have lost their lives in the
course of duty.” says Chief Games Organiser, Murray Jamieson. “I expect this will be a healing, cleansing event. The
entrants will compete like hell, then come together afterwards in tribute to lost comrades such as the 343 who died at
the World Trade Centre collapse, and those in Sydney bushfires last summer.”
Mr Jamieson says the 72 events that have been organised at venues around Christchurch and the Canterbury region offer
something for everyone. “As well as traditional sports and races, entrants can take up unique challenges such as the
Firehouse Cookoff, the Bucket Brigade and the Toughest Firefighter Alive. There’s also fishing and diving, clay and trap
shooting, as well as poker, outrigger canoeing and arm wrestling.”
Organisers say that the games could bring up to 3-4,000 people to Christchurch. “So far we have nearly 900 entries from
more than thirty countries, with dozens still arriving each day,” says Mr Jamieson.
Mayor of Christchurch, Garry Moore, says that the commemorative park will serve as a place of celebration, as well as
contemplation and reflection. “The World Firefighters Games is huge for Christchurch, and this reserve gives us an
opportunity to mark the event, as well as the courage of firefighters everywhere.”
This is the seventh international games held specifically for firefighters, who had previously shared an event with
police. First staged in Auckland in 1990, the World Firefighters Games are held every two years. Paris hosted the event
last time and in 2004 it will be the turn of Sheffield, England. “The reason it’s back in New Zealand this year is
because plans fell through in Melbourne,” says Murray Jamieson. “Christchurch put in a late bid and got the nod. We’re
very fortunate to host these special Memorial Games.”
He says that firefighting is more than just a job, more a way of life. “The close-knit brotherhood includes many women
firefighters, as well as spouses and children of firefighters. Eighty per cent of the world’s firefighters are
volunteers, whose contribution is immeasurable. We have more than a hundred working on a voluntary basis on this event
alone.”
For more information, contact:
Murray Jamieson, Chief Games Organiser on 03 371 3655; murray.jamieson@fire.org.nz
or Suzanne Weld, Parks & Waterways Planner on 941 8490;
Suzanne.weld@ccc.govt.nz