Eligibility / Conditions of Entry
1. Agency Eligibility
1.1 Eligible Agencies that are able to compete in these Games and who are affiliated with the Victoria Police Games Federation are: Victoria Police including Protective Services Officers and Police Custody Officers; Ambulance Victoria; Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission; Australian Border Force; Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Australian Federal Police (including Australian Protective Service Officers); Australian Volunteer Coast Guard; Corrections Victoria; Country Fire Authority; Dept of Jobs, Precincts & Regions; Dept of Environment, Land, Water and Planning; Dept. of Immigration; Dept of Justice (Sheriff’s Office); Dept of Transport; Emergency Management Victoria; Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority; Fire Rescue Victoria; Life Saving Victoria; National Heavy Vehicle Regulator; Parks Victoria; Royal Flying Doctor Service; Safe Transport Victoria; St John Ambulance Victoria; Victoria State Emergency Service; and Victorian Fisheries Authority.
1.2 Other emergency service agencies can apply for eligibility and if successful are able to compete upon invitation to attend these Games.
1.3 The Victoria Police Games Federation reserves the right to refuse entries from any individual or agency.
2. Participant Eligibility
2.1 Participants over the age of 18 from eligible agencies may only compete if they satisfy one or more of the criteria below:
a) They are a current or retired sworn or unsworn member of Victoria Police (including PSO’s & PCO’s)
b) Have a Law Enforcement or Emergency Response role as specified in their key accountabilities section of their job description
c) Are an active and registered volunteer for at least 12 months prior to the Games and have completed the appropriate training for their organisation
d) Retired member of an agency (except Victoria Police, see 2.1a) must have had 10 or more years’ service to that agency prior to resignation. These members will be referred to their Agency Representatives
2.2 Where a member of the Victoria Police resigns and wishes to take part in further Victoria Police and Emergency Services Games, consideration will be given to a member’s history of involvement in previous Victoria Police and Emergency Services Games, and the years of service. Applications must be made in writing to the VPGF Office prior to registration.
2.3 The Committee of the Victoria Police Games Federation Inc. may by resolution, caution counsel or reprimand a member of the Federation or may expel or suspend a member from involvement in the affairs of the Federation, which shall include competing at the Games. This includes members that:
a) have refused or neglected to comply with the Rules of the Federation; or
b) have been found guilty of discreditable conduct or conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Federation, in accordance with Clauses 21 of the Rules of Management of the Federation.
c) Any competitor who is currently under suspension from their agency is not permitted to enter. In addition, where a competitor is suspended after having registered for the Games, the onus is on the competitor to declare that suspension to the Victoria Police Games Federation and withdraw from the Games.
2.4 The VPGF reserves the right to refuse entries from any person
2.5 Other non-affiliated Emergency Service personnel who comply with clause 2.1 can make an application to the VPGF for consideration of their eligibility.
2.6 As per Victorian Government Health directions, all participants must be vaccinated from Coronavirus prior to the commencement of the Games (except if a medical exemption applies). Proof of vaccination status may be required prior to commencing any entered event or entering any facility. This clause also includes coordinators, volunteers and support staff.
3.1 Victorian Police Protective Services Officers (PSO) will compete for Transit & Public Safety Command as their department. Police Custody Officers (PCO) will compete for the Regions they are managed from.
3.2 Victoria Police individuals MUST register for the region, command or department they are assigned to at the time of registration. Members attached to PCETS MUST compete for the region where they are located at the time of entry.
4.1 Entries officially close on 20th March 2023. Some sports may accept late entries however this will be at the discretion of the respective Sports Co-ordinator. All entries are via the online registration system and payment must be made to complete the registration process. Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa) or PayPal account are the only forms of payment. For information on refunds, please check the Refund section contained within the General Information document.
4.2 Entry fees may vary from sport to sport and are put towards the running costs of the event, such as medals, venue hire and payment of officials etc. Fees for some sports will be the basic entry fee plus “pay as you play” costs. Entry fees are listed with the events, along with those listed as “pay as you play”.
4.3 Sports co-ordinators will not accept a team entry unless full administration / registration details of all members of the team has been received, and full payment has been made.
4.4 The Games will be conducted at various venues throughout Victoria between 27th March and 3rd April 2023 inclusive. A Schedule of Events is listed on the Games website (www.emergencyservicesgames.org.au) and in the Games Information booklet.
5.1 All employees of Victoria Police are required to participate in their own time and at their own expense. Victoria Police employees should check the information regarding Personal Accident Insurance which is contained in the General Information for Participants document.
5.2 All other participants from affiliated agencies are not covered under the Victoria Police policy therefore need to refer to their own agency internal leave policy and insurance cover. It is recommended that you discuss any issues with your agency representative or private insurance contact. More information is provided on the General Information for Participants page.
5.3 Any person employed by Victoria Police who competes in The Games whilst on sick leave WILL NOT be eligible for the Personal Accident and Public Liability protection and competes at their own risk. Employees on sick leave who wish to compete will need to provide medical clearance first.
6. Age/Sex/Unisex Divisions apply to some individual events. The placegetters in each age/sex/unisex division will be awarded medals. The divisions are:
OPEN
18 – 18 to 29 years inclusive
30 – 30 to 34 years inclusive
3+: 30 years and over
35 – 35 to 39 years inclusive
40 – 40 to 44 years inclusive
4+: 40 years and over
45 – 45 to 49 years inclusive
50 – 50 to 54 years inclusive
5+: 50 years and over
55 – 55 to 59 years inclusive
60 – 60 to 64 years inclusive
6+: 60 years and over
65 – 65 to 69 years inclusive
70 – 70 to 74years inclusive
7+: 70 years and over
75 – 75 to 79 years inclusive
80 – 80 to 84 years inclusive
8+: 80 years and over
85 – 85 to 89 years inclusive
90 – 90 to 94 years inclusive
95 – 95 to 99 years inclusive
100+: 100 years and over
The age groups above apply to male, female and unisex competitors in the relevant events and are identified by the letters M and F respectively throughout the program and are to be taken as at 20th March 2023.
7. All entrants are reminded that they are eligible to enter both their own age group and the open age group but must pay the entry fees for BOTH age groups. They may be required to compete in BOTH age groups, except in the case of Cross Country and Cycling events where entries will only be accepted in age groups, and the Open age group (if available) will be decided by times. Swimming events, both Open Water and Pool, entries will only be accepted in age groups.
8. Females will compete against females unless they specify that they wish to enter a mixed OPEN or unisex event. Some events may combine various age/sex divisions e.g. 5000 metres.
9. Where insufficient entries are received in age group events, the entrant will be offered the opportunity to participate in a lower age group.
10.1 Participants representing Victoria Police in non-individual events are encouraged to be registered with members from the same department so that they can achieve bonus points as per clause 11 below.
10.2 Participants from all other agencies competing in non-individual events can compete without representing a particular region or department due to the smaller number of participants representing them in comparison to the numbers representing Victoria Police. Competitors may only compete in one team per sport on the day of their event. Team members SHOULD play in the preliminaries to be eligible for the finals. The end decision rests with the Sports Co-ordinator.
10.3 Where a person wishes to compete in a non-individual event and is unable to locate sufficient numbers to make up a region or department team, or doubles event, their entry will be set aside until after the closing date for entries. A draw will then be conducted from those individual entries with the view to making a composite team and that entrant will be able to compete in the Games.
11. Bonus Points
11.1 Bonus Points are awarded in all events with 5 points going to 1st place, 3 points to 2nd
place, & 1 point to 3rd place. Bonus points help determine the winners of the Inter- Services & Chief Commissioner’s Trophies
11.2 In all individual events, the participant earns the bonus points for their agency whilst Victoria Police participants also earn bonus points for their department.
11.3 In all non-individual events/team events, Bonus Points will be allocated this way:
a) Only 1 set of bonus points will be allocated to an agency per non-individual/team event to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd placegetters (eg. winning team will get 5 points only to their agency and will not be individually allocated to the participants). These points will be included in the calculation for the Inter-Services Trophy. Where there is more than 1 participant from a different agency involved in the makeup of the entry, the bonus points will be awarded to the participant and their agency who setup the online entry (eg, team manager or captain).
b) Where a person wishes to compete in a non-individual/team event with members from another region or department within Victoria Police, they will each be granted Bonus Points towards their department should they place 1st, 2nd or 3rd, with these points contributing to the Chief Commissioner’s Trophy. Clause 11.3a will apply when calculating points for the Inter-Services Trophy.
12. By participating in the Victoria Police & Emergency Services Games, you give permission for the Victoria Police Games Federation to use any photo and/or video of you participating for promotional material. Please note that no photo will be used of any participant who is in their work attire nor will any names associated with any photo/ video be published.
