World Police and Fire Games headed to Birmingham; Volunteers still urgently needed

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WBRC ) - For the first time ever, Birmingham is set to host the World Police & Fire Games , an Olympic-style event that will bring together more than 7,000 first responder athletes from 70 countries for 10 days of competition this July.

But while the athletes bring the talent, organizers say the city still needs one critical thing to pull it all off: volunteers.

Officials say they’re aiming for 2,500 volunteers, but still need at least 1,200 more to fill roles across more than 50 sporting events, including basketball, rowing, lacrosse, and flag football.

Anne Mathews, a longtime Birmingham volunteer, is already signed up to help with orienteering, a map-and-compass sport that will take place at Railroad Park. She says there’s nothing like the feeling of giving b