UAB Medicine provided care for thousands of first responders at 2025 World Police & Fire Games

The University of Alabama at Birmingham served as the official medical provider for the 2025 World Police & Fire Games in Birmingham from June 27 to July 6. The event brought together more than 8,600 participants from nearly 70 countries, promoting athletic competition and camaraderie among police, fire and first responders worldwide.

UAB Medicine coordinated all medical services for the games, including sports medicine care, emergency management, data tracking of athlete injuries and medical utilization.

UAB Medicine developed comprehensive medical action plans and protocols, staffed 22 venues across the region with medical professionals, and recruited volunteers to provide on-site care throughout the 10-day event. Alongside UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine, UAB Emergency Medicine played a key role in providing coverage during the games.

In total, more than 200 medical volunteers representing UAB Medicine assisted in over 1,300 patient encounters. Only14 athletes were medically disqualified from the games. This astounding return-to-sport rate is a testament to the team’s expertise.

“UAB Medicine was proud to serve as the official medical provider for the 2025 World Police & Fire Games,” said John Lax, M.D., board-certified sports medicine physician and medical director for WPFG 2025. “It was an honor to support these first responders and help ensure their health and safety throughout the event. I sincerely appreciate the collaboration from across UAB Medicine, which made it possible for us to deliver world-class care to these heroic athletes.”

Throughout the games, UAB Medicine’s objective was to protect the health and safety of athletes and ensure continuity of competition. The medical team provided field-side care, including injury evaluation, emergency treatment and athlete disposition.

The World Police & Fire Games consists of Olympic-style competitions with thousands of first-responder athletes representing different countries across the world. This includes law enforcement, firefighters and other public safety personnel. The WPFG are held biennially and typically include more than 60 sports. The 2027 World Police & Fire Games will be held in Perth, Australia.