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World Police and Fire Games Orienteering Meet

I remember that there was orienteering at the WPFG a few years ago in Indianapolis. When will it be in the USA again? I think that Orienteering USA and individual clubs should promote orienteering to the local departments; these are individuals that could be valuable club members. It will take some advanced planning though. I see that the next WPFG is in Belfast. Maybe there will be enough North Americans that go that we could promote orienteering to them.

I was Course Setter for the WPFG 2001 in Indiana. That was the 2nd time orienteering had been included, and as far as I know it has been in every games since then. I think this is the first time since 2001 that the Games have been back to the States, so maybe another 10 years?

In 2001, they were very strict that there would be no public runners allowed on the courses; only eligible police and fire personnel. All volunteers were vetted and given identification, access was supposed to be pretty tightly controlled. So I am really happy to see that this seems to be relaxed for this year, although perhaps the added security of being on the USMA grounds was a factor in that decision.

Photo of some of the OCIN volunteers who helped with the 2001 games.

Orienteering Results from the 2001 Games.

Model Event Results from 2001 Games (2 days before).

Interesting note. Part of the task of organizing was having a "terrorism plan". There was great concern about security for the large gathering of police and fire personnel, in part because Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was scheduled to be executed (and in fact was) at a federal prison elsewhere in Indiana on that same day.

What'll you do if Irene is as bad as they're saying she may be guys? Will you post a message on here if you end up cancelling?

Irene looks way more interesting than the earthquake!

Don't worry about Irene. There'll be loads of police and firefighters to save you.

Visiting from New Orleans?

They've slowed down their predictions, so hopefully all good for Sunday now!

Or maybe not.. we're now in the "extreme" risk zone.

At 9 AM (first B-meet start) National Weather Service is calling for winds of 34 mph gusting to 58, and 79% chance of rain. It keeps increasing from there --(sustained winds increasing to 69 and gusts increasing to 92 later on. But you never can tell for sure with these hurricane things.

Perfect for gliding.

Sounds like perfect orienteering weather.

On days like that, the expression is that a picnic table would be a suitable hang glider.

If things get too crazy, the meet will end up being canceled. We're scheduled to make a weather call about 0730 that morning as to whether or not things are still on, and I'll make sure that decision ends up on Attackpoint as well. That being said, if we give it a go, but the weather gets progressively worse throughout the meet, it could potentially get called off later due to safety concerns.

The 2015 WPFG are to be hosted by Fairfax County, VA. Far enough in the future not to be on QOC's front burner but the organisers will presumably have to start talking with us in earnest sometime in the next couple of years.

They didn't call off the 2006 French WC Middle until after a tree fell on a Fraulein.

Would it be canceled outright, or just postponed for a day or so?

In any case, better safe than sorry!

@hannah: Should we also presume that the 0730 go/no-go decision will be posted immediately on the event page? Where on Attackpoint will you post it (just this thread, ...)?

(I have an entry on HVO's calendar -- with a link to the event page -- and want to make sure that anyone who goes there looking for the go/no-go will be able to find it asap.)