By Chris De Benedetti
The Oakland Tribune
FREMONT, Calif. — The fire and police departments work together just about every day to aid residents and make the streets safer.
But for a couple of hours on April 16, both sides say, half-jokingly, all niceties between them will stop in a fiercely competitive basketball game. Each squad will rely on athleticism -- as much as their aging, creaky knees will allow -- and occasionally good-natured trash talk, delivered with as light a touch as the teams’ best jump shooters.
It’s all for the Guns ‘n’ Hoses Charity Basketball Game -- the annual benefit contest between Fremont police officers and firefighters.
Bryan Guernsey, a fire department engineer-paramedic and a police SWAT-team medic, knows better than most how well the two agencies work together. However, things will be different that night.
Guernsey, who has represented the fire department in past games, said he can’t wait to see his fellow firefighters win when they take the court.
“It’s all good-natured and in good fun, but there’s also a lot of pride involved and both sides definitely want to win,” he said.
All of this badge-on-badge bad blood will be for a good cause, of course.
All proceeds will go to Special Olympics Northern California, benefiting about 300 athletes in the Tri-City area.
Entertainment at the event will include dancers and karate demonstrations at halftime, along with raffle prizes and a silent auction available at the gymnasium, police Lt. Clarise Lew said.
“I hope there will be a lot of people there because it’s always a lot of fun,” Guernsey said. “The event is put together really well and it’s all for the community.”
And a little bit of bragging rights, too, of course.
The fundraiser was founded in 2007 by Leadership Fremont, a public service training program sponsored by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce.
The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Washington High School gymnasium, off Fremont Boulevard at Country Drive.
Copyright 2011 Contra Costa Newspapers