Rockville Centre firefighters enjoy a winning tradition and a new challenge

Competitions among Long Island’s fire departments go back as long as the volunteer companies have existed — 100 years of tradition. One of the most common forms of that competition is an Old Fashioned Drill where teams compete in eight firematic events involving the speed with which they can throw up a ladder, the speed they can climb that ladder, run down a course, stretch a hose line, trip a target with a hose stream, fill a barrel at the top of the arch, hoist buckets up a ladder and other related maneuvers that can and do occur at real fires.

One of the best at these competitions over the last 10 years has been Rockville Centre’s own Woodlanders of the Woodland Engine Company No. 4. During that time, the Woodlanders have dominated Old Fashion Drills, winning eight state championships, eight Nassau County titles and nine Old Fashioned Total Points. They’ve also set three state records and won numerous invitational and battalion drills hosted across Long Island, for a total of 35 First Place overall finishes.

Recently the Woodlanders decided to enter another state-wide competition with a long history, known as Motorized Competitions, or FD Racing. The last time Rockville Centre was involved in this type of competition was in the 1940’s, when the department’s team was known as the “Screwballs.” These competitions are similar to the Old Fashioned Drills but are done off the back of a Class B Fire pumper and a Class C Car.

The Woodlanders put up money of their own and purchased and refurbished a 1968 Ford 500 Class B Pumper formerly raced by the Flukes of Hempstead. They recently started practice down at Fireman’s Field on Mondays and Wednesdays, preparing for the first of six motorized drills they plan to enter this year — the first being the Southern New York Firefighters Association that will be hosted in Lindenhurst on June 12. All are welcome to come down and watch the Woodlanders practice and to attend any of the drills in which they compete. For a schedule, visit www.nysdrillteams.com.