York, PA Firefighters Excel at Can-Am Police-Fire 2012 Games - City Prepares to Host 2014 Games

July 12, 2012 - PRLog -- York, Pennsylvania, firefighting professionals enjoyed outstanding performances at the Can-Am Police-Fire 2012 Games held June 24-July 1 in St. Cloud, MN.

Lyle Cosner and Scott Little, of York Area United Fire and Rescue, joined Mike Anderson, York City Fire and Rescue, and Richard Halpin, director of the York County Fire School, in delivering medal-winning performances.

The Can-Am Police-Fire Games are biennial Olympics-style games contested among police, fire, EMS and corrections personnel from across the United States, Canada and around the world. A true celebration of camaraderie and competition, the Games are held in a different location every two years.

The 2014 Can-Am Police-Fire Games will be conducted July 13-20, 2014, in York County, PA, and are expected to attract as many as 2,000 competitors – as well as their families. In addition to competing in those Games, the York contingent also plans to play an active role in drumming up support for and participation in the Games.

• Lyle Cosner, competing in the 35-39 age group, brought home four medals, capturing gold in the 5k and 10k cross country runs and the shot put. He added a silver medal in the 800-meter run.

• Scott Little, competing in the 30-34 age group, collected a gold, two silvers and two bronze medals, winning the long jump, placing second in the 5k cross country run and the 100 meter dash, and earning bronze in the 800 meter run and 3-on-3 basketball.

• Mike Anderson, competing in the 55-59 age group, landed seven medals, including gold in the Toughest Competitor Alive, silver medals in the Toughest Firefighter Alive, 1,500-meter run, shot put, and doubles racquetball, and bronze medals in the 400- and 800-meter runs.

• Richard Halpin, competing in the 60-64 age group, captured a gold medal in the 100-meter dash and a silver medal in doubles racquetball.

All four hope to compete in the 2014 Games, which will feature more than 50 sporting events, including traditional athletic competitions such as swimming, softball, golf and cycling, as well as profession-specific events such as SWAT, police service dog, Toughest Firefighter Alive and Toughest Competitor Alive.

To learn more about the 2014 games, visit http://www.yorkcanamgames.com.

The York County Tourism Industry

The decision to bring the Can-Am Police-Fire 2014 Games to York, PA, is the result of the vision and hard work of members of The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Visit http://www.yorkpa.org.

Tourism serves as a pillar to the economy in York County and Pennsylvania. As the second leading industry in the state, businesses small and large depend on tourism. In York County alone, 10,400 people are employed with tourism-related positions, while 295 businesses are members of the York County CVB. As a whole, visitors spend more than $750 million annually in York County.

The York County CVB has invested heavily in tourism development. Well over $3 million has been granted to local organizations and municipalities to foster tourism development, including $100,000 to the City of York, $75,000 to the Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area; $50,000 to the Rail Trail Authority, nearly $50,000 to the York County Heritage Trust, $45,000 to the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, $20,000 to Downtown Inc, $10,000 to the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, and $25,000 to Memorial Park for improvements to its softball facilities.

The York County CVB has also committed $1 million to the York Expo Center, helping to secure events such as Street Rod Nationals East, which contributed $4.9 million of economic impact in 2011 alone.

York County CVB funds have also helped to launch York County’s successful tourism brands: Factory Tour Capital of the World, Sport York and the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail. Room tax revenues have been invested by the York County CVB to bid on and win the 2008 National Horseshoe Pitchers’ World Tournament, 2011 PIAA Golf Championships, 2014 Can-Am Police and Fire Games and the American Truck Historical Society’s 2015 National Convention and Antique Truck Show. Moving forward, additional revenues will help secure more events and launch more products, leading to greater economic gains for York County.

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official tourism promotion agency for York County and is accredited by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). The organization is led by a volunteer board of directors.