Freeport firefighters star in tournament

‘Dead End Kids’ team takes second place

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Dozens of firefighters from around the county converged on Fireman’s Field in Rockville Centre last weekend to test their mettle.

Nassau County Parade and Drill Tournament pitted teams of firefighters from all over the county in contests of firefighting prowess, and local teams dominated the rosters.

There were two styles of competition: motorized and old fashioned. The motorized contests involved setting up ladders from moving trucks, hooking up hoses, pumping water and more. The West Hempstead Westerners came in first place overall.

The old fashioned competition involved similar contests, but without the mechanized tools of the motorized competition. Participants had to run with ladders, create bucket chains to move water, and more. The Bellmore team in came a solid first place, with the Freeport Dead End Kids trailing 11 points behind in second.

Here’s how the Dead End Kids did in each of the race. Three Man Ladder – second place; Running Ladder final – first place; Running Hose – third place; Running Hose Replacement – second place; Efficiency – second place; Efficiency Replacement – sixth place and Buckets Final – third place.

After the tournament, participants put on their dress uniforms and marched down Maple Avenue in Rockville Centre. Each unit in the procession was led by a classic fire truck from the department, along with many pipe and drum bands.

Friends, family and spectators lined the streets, cheering on the firefighters and showing their support. It was an exciting and fun-filled day for all.

-Laura Schofer contributed to this story