Recently, a delegation of New York City firefighters traveled to Moscow to participate in the second annual “Battles on Ice,” a hockey tournament pitting members of the FDNY against EMERCOM, Russia’s Emergency Control Ministry. The tournament brings together emergency response workers from the U.S. and Russia to foster a spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition after the teams have collaborated throughout the year in sharing best practices in their fields. The FDNY had some help from NY Rangers alumni, while Russia’s “Legends of Hockey” club helped round out EMERCOM’s lineup, in a tournament meant to compliment the partnership between the U.S. and Russia on disaster preparedness.
Despite a tradition of fierce on-ice rivalry between the two nations, the atmosphere at the tournament was one of friendly competition and mutual respect –and a shared admiration for the game of hockey.
Rina Kirshner, Vice President of The Russian American Foundation, an organizer of the event, said, “The friendly games convincingly demonstrate that the peoples of the United States and Russia are able to support each other, stand shoulder to shoulder and to develop friendly relations and mutual understanding between our countries."
Though the men were on opposite sides of the puck, they shared a common goal: to reinforce a spirit of cooperation between the two countries’ emergency response agencies. For more than 15 years, EMERCOM has worked closely with FEMA and other U.S. emergency response groups to share key learnings from disasters like the Haiti earthquake of 2010.
In July of 2010, a working group was established to formalize the cooperation, and has since carried out joint exercises, exchanges and conferences with the goal of improving response capabilities in an increasingly global world, emphasizing a “whole-community” approach. In 2011, EMERCOM’s Air-Mobile Search and Rescue team worked closely with partner U.S. agencies to compare tactics and hold joint trainings – the team went on to earn the highest classification of the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group.
“We are always happy to participate in fruitful cooperation with our colleagues in the Ministry for Emergencies,” said Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia. “This, ultimately, contributes to the safety of not only our citizens but also citizens of other countries.”
The tournament also celebrated the dedication of emergency response personnel and commemorated those who were lost during the Moscow subway bombings and the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
New York City Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano remarked, “The games demonstrate the solidarity of our peoples in the struggle against terrorism. The Fire Department of New York City is proud to be here not only for our city, which is home to the largest Russian-speaking community in the U.S., but the whole American people."
Fans were treated to a high level of fast-paced gameplay, and while the American team won a narrow victory by way of a tie-breaker, both teams expressed satisfaction with the outcome and hope that the tournament will continue in subsequent years. “This has been a great blessing for us. We have made many friends [in Russia] and we hope this partnership will continue for years to come,” said Mike Rossidis, FDNY Hockey Team Manager.
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