Local Firefighter Competes In World Games

It probably wasnt the sign of appreciation that firefighter Phil Parr of Battalion 16 was looking for upon returning from the World Firefighters Games on November 3. But given the current fiscal situation overwhelming the city, he said he understood that Mayor Michael Bloomberg might have to shut down firehouses in and around the city, including two from Queens.
"Nobody wants to see firehouses closed down," said Parr, who is from St. Albans and is the chief of recruitment at the New York Firefighter Headquarters at 9 Metro Tech Center in Brooklyn. "Any firefighter doesnt want to see this happen. Were hitting a time right now when the city is strapped and the mayor has to do something. Nobody likes it."
Parr was part of a group of 30 New York City firefighters who participated in the World Firefighters Games this year in New Zealand. A committee of international firefighters first initiated the games in 1990, and since then its been held every two years in different locations. This years games were named "The Memorial Games" in honor of all fallen firefighters following the attacks of September 11, and opened with a dedication of a commemorative sculpture built from three pieces of the World Trade Center.
"It gave us an opportunity to meet firefighters from all over the world," Parr said. "They wanted to know about 9/11 and what was going on since we were the centerpiece of the games. Three memorials were dedicated to the firefighters who were lost. It got pretty emotional. A lot of the firefighters were crying."
The firefighters competed in athletic events such as basketball, track and field, swimming and golf. The glamour event was the "Toughest Firefighter Alive" competition, which consisted of four timed courses including the hose run, firefighter obstacle course, as well as tower and stair climbs.
The United States basketball team won gold. Parr came in 12th in the cook-off and was basically treated like a celebrity.
"If I had a dollar for every picture I signed, Id be rich," Parr said. The ACE Group of Companies provided the funding for the firefighters.