Garden City Park firefighters celebrate 100th anniversary

Richard Tedesco

Threatening skies early Saturday morning gave way to bright sunshine for the Garden City Park Fire Department centennial parade.

Virtually all of the 118-members of the volunteer department turned out in their blue-dress uniforms to march with the department’s junior firefighters attired in powder blue shirts.

Garden City Park Fire Department Chief William Rudnick led his department in the parade and later spoke about his role in celebrating the department’s 100 years of service to the community.

“It’s been great being chief for the 100th anniversary. It’s a great honor,” said Rudnick, a 15-year veteran of the fire department.

An honor guard of members of the Garden City Park volunteers led the line of march, followed by ex-chief of the Garden City Park Fire Department, Jack Sturz, who is the most senior active member of the department in his 60th year of service.

The Nassau County Firefighters Pipe and Drum Band preceded Rudnick, giving onlookers the first bright musical moments in the parade. The Floral Park Fire Department Band, The American Legion Pipe Band, the Street Band Preservation Society and the Emerald Society of Pipe Band of Nassau County also provided musical accompaniment to the 17 fire companies that marched in the parade, with the Preservation Society Band delivering a rousing rendition of “Hold That Tiger,” a popular tune from the 1920s.

The parade drew an enthusiastic crowd of community residents who lined the parade route from where it began at Park Circle to where it concluded in Michael J. Tully Park.

There was history on parade as well, with one 1931 truck from the Garden City Fire Department, a vintage truck from the Albertson Fire Department and the Great Neck Alert Fire Department. Three of Garden City Park’s contemporary vehicles also rode in the parade, along with one of its rescue units. 

Those vehicles were appropriate reminders that the parade was a 100th anniversary observance for a department that was first organized in 1911, with a horse-drawn combination hook and ladder, a bucket brigade and 23 members to respond to fire calls.

The neighboring fire departments and emergency response units whose members responded to the call to march in the centennial parade included the New Hyde Park, Manhasset-Lakeville, Mineola, Albertson and Great Neck Alert Fire Departments.

“It was a tremendous turnout for our department,” said Garden City Park volunteer Joe McAvoy, who was on the 15-member committee that had planned the event over the past two years. 

Town of North Hempstead Councilman Angelo Ferrara presented Rudnick with a proclamation recognizing the historic occasion for the department.

“This is in recognition of all you’ve done. God bless you forever,” Ferrara said.

Public officials in the parade also included state Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola), state Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt (R-East Meadow), Nassau County Legislator Richard  Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) and Charles Berman, Town of North Hempstead receiver of taxes.  

The parade was followed by a carnival at Tully Park that had been in full swing since Thursday night and continued through Sunday afternoon.

A fireworks display was the climax of the festivities in Tully Park on Saturday night.

Carnival-goers also were entertained by local piano man Pat Farrell and his Cold Spring Harbor band, a Billy Joel tribute group.

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