Jim Carney is helping bring the World Police and Firefighter Games to New York in 2011
In 2011, the World Police and Firefighter Games will take place in New York City from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5. The Games will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, in which 403 of the city's firefighters and police officers were killed, according to New York Magazine.
Retired New York City firefighter Jim Carney, 60, who runs a trade show operations company, is the president-CEO of the 2001 World Police and Firefighter Games. FDNY lieutenant Bill Miccio is the vice president-COO of the event. The pair is organizing the Games, in part, as a tribute to the firefighters and police officers from around the world who came to New YorkCity to help in the aftermath of 9-11. "There will be police officers and firefighters from over 70 different countries," Carney said. "We're going to be using these Games as thank you for what they did for us during those times."
Carney expects 15,000 to 18,000 police officers and firefighters competing in 65 different sports. There will be age-group competition, and a large portion of the athletes will be 30 and over. Carney played on an over-50 team that won a silver medal in 3-on-3 basketball in the 2007 WPFG, which were held in Adelaide, South Australia. The 2009 event will take place in British Columbia, Canada. The 2011 Games have a fund-raiser slated for Feb. 27 at the New York Marriott Marquis.
Masters Athlete: How central will 9-11 be to the Games?
Jim Carney: 2001 will be the 10-year anniversary of 9-11. In 2001, I was at Ground Zero for a long time. I helped out with a lot of the families. On Oct. 12, 2002, I helped organize an event at Madison Square Garden. There were 25,000 family members. There were also 50,000 firefighters from all over the world who marched to the Garden. Putting on that event gave me credibility among police and firefighters that we could organize the Games. There will be 65 sporting events at 40 different venues all over the city. We're going to make sure they include every borough. This is going to be a community event. It's like the Olympics at the opening ceremonies of the World Police and Firefighter Games. There are people marching in next to each who are from countries at war with each other, and they'll be hugging each other. It's really amazing. We're celebrating our humanity through sports.
Do you think New York got the bid because of 9-11?
Actually, it was between five different cities. [New York City] and Orlando were in the U.S. Before the final presentation, the board told us that we could not use 9-11 as a deciding factor. We had to show that we could run the Games.
How do you stay in shape?
Well, I turned 60 years old yesterday [Nov. 12]. I retired four years ago as a firefighter. I was a firefighter for 24 years. That pretty much kept me in shape. I played on a team that won the silver medal in 3-on-3 basketball at the World Police and Firefighter Games in Adelaide, South Australia. That was in the over-50 age group.
Will you participate as an athlete in 2011?
I don't know if I'm going to have time. Bill Miccio [the 2011 WPFG VP-COO] got a silver medal in volleyball. I don't know if either of us will have time.
How can people help support the Games?
We have a fund-raiser every year. This year it will be on Feb. 27 at the Marriot Marquis in New York. We hope people will buy tables. Last year we honored [New York Yankees pitcher] Mariano Rivera and [New York Mets manager] Willie Randolph. We show kids who look up to cops and firefighters that there are professional athletes who are role models, too.
Cycling
