Plenty of other excitement and nostalgia will also be on the schedule. On Saturday, October 13, firefighters from other companies throughout Ulster County will demonstrate their skills in a competition at the Ulster County Fairgrounds. The general public will be invited to watch. It won’t consist of anything as dangerous as a training exercise involving real fire, says Luke Jr.: “The contests will be things like a bucket brigade, pulling hand lines, knocking over targets — simple stuff, just for fun and bragging rights.”
Winners of the competition will receive awards in a ceremony at the end of the big parade through downtown Gardiner on Sunday, October 14. With a line of march beginning at Steve’s Lane and ending at Majestic Park, the “non-judged” parade will consist of local fire companies marching and showing off their vehicles, floats representing various Gardiner organizations, marching bands and the softball team sponsored by the GFD. “Basically it’s a big party,” says Luke Jr.
It costs money to put on such an extravaganza, of course, and the GFD will be announcing a series of smaller events like pancake breakfasts in the interim. A footrace, the tenth annual Gardiner 5K Classic, is scheduled for July 19. One fundraiser already in progress is a spiffy new commemorative tee-shirt, showing color pictures of GFD fire and rescue vehicles old and new — including the 1912 pumper — against a black background. The shirts cost $20 each; to arrange to obtain one of your very own, e-mail the GFD at one of the contact addresses listed on the website.
“The fire service is really about tradition,” says Lieutenant Lyons. In a typical year, that tradition requires responding to about 450 calls for help. “This time of year, they’re mainly climbing and skydiving accidents and brushfires…It’s all about helping people.” ++
