By Dwayne Tingley

Basketball players are always aware of their help-side defence. Earlier this week, the Halifax Hurricanes showed their appreciation for their community's ultimate help-side.

The National Basketball League of Canada team honoured first responders during a game against the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. Hurricanes marketing and game day operations director Spencer Fry called the evening a huge success that was appreciated by the heroic first responders, players and coaches and the fans.

Personnel from the Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency. Emergency Health Services and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police participated.

First Responders played a scrimmage game against a military team with friends and family watching.

Adam Cameron of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency sang the national anthem with a colourful honour guard before a ceremonial tip-off, which featgured RCMP Chief Superintendent Janis Gray HRP Chief of Police Daniel Kinsella, Fire Chief Ken Stuebing and EHS director of operations Jeff Fraser.

Emergency vehicles were on display on the arena floor and each department had information booths with mascots. The mascots were also involved in several on-court promotions and gratitude was shown to the First Responders through the entire game.

The Union Fire Pipes and Drums performed during halftime.

Devon Norris, who played with the Halifax Rainmen from 2009-11 and is now a member of the HRP, assisted the Hurricanes greatly throughout the planning for the event.

"To have a member of the former Halifax basketball team involved was pretty special to us as an organization," Fry said.

"Although the Rainmen were a completely different franchise with a different owner, we still respect the work the former players did to build the basketball fan base in Halifax."

The Hurricanes meet the Titans on March 4, also in Halifax.