By Del Moon

Like Father, Like Son

Rick Dorey still laughs about how he got started with archery. His West Palm Beach Fire Department was hosting the Florida Firefighter Games in 1994 and needed someone to run archery. He bought a used bow from a pawn shop and learned the sport to better understand it. Rick, 66, has not stopped competing or helping organize shooting events since.

Now retired, Rick has inspired his two sons to not only become firefighters but to also take up the bow and arrow. One of them, Jason, is now also competitng in World Police and Fire Games.

In 2001 Rick attended his first WPFG in Indianapolis and brought home a silver medal. He has competed in 10 of the last 12 games and has tallied 20 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals and holds 2 WPFG records. Jason first stepped to the line with his dad in Amsterdam in 2022 and returned to Winnipeg in 2023. The 42-year-old driver/engineer has already bagged 2 gold, a silver and a bronze medal in WPFG competition.

“I really did it to do something with dad,” Jason said. “It’s a neat experience to see and meet people from around the world.” 

Rick doubles down on his son’s point. ”We’ve made friends from around the world and see how other departments work,” he says.  “When we were on a cruise to Hong Kong we met and had dinner with a friend who we have shot archery with in the Games for years.”

Rick picked up the sport to help his department out, but he has continued because he views it almost as therapy. “I guess I could call it a calming effect. With all that we experience and see as first responders, it’s a release to be able to take a deep breath, settle in, and concentrate on something else so hard that it pushes all that stuff out of your mind.”

Both men are recruiting their peers in Florida to go to Birmingham in 2025. “I’m telling everyone this is the closest it’s ever been and they owe it to themselves to go,” Rick says.