“Buckets” is the last contest of the typical firematic tournaments that fill the summer weekends from June through Labor Day each year. It is the contest of longest duration, competed without the use of motorized equipment and is one that personifies teamwork.

Execution without flaw brings jubilation while a slip, dropped bucket or any other miscue could bring disappointment that would more than overflow the five-gallon buckets used in the event.

The Flying Dutchmen Drill Team of the West Sayville Fire Department walked right into that setting last Saturday evening, August 18, at the New York State Championship Drill that was hosted by the Selden Fire Department at Firemen’s Park in Ridge.

Holding a three point lead over the then second place Termites of New Hyde Park and a four point edge on the Hempstead Yellow Hornets going into the last event, the stage was set for yet another state title showdown.

Both New Hyde Park and Hempstead are known for their proficient buckets teams and the Flying Dutchmen, although running respectably,
have struggled to beat them. Both of the contenders preceded West Sayville in the line up with the Termites first running slightly off their usual mark with a 23.14 seconds effort followed shortly thereafter by the Yellow Hornets’ 20.98 seconds shot that ultimately earned them first place.

Facing their biggest challenge of the year knowing that they had to complete Buckets quicker than the 22.60 seconds time of Central Islip to remain on top of the leader board, the Flying Dutchmen reached deep into their weeks of practice and years of experience to post their second best time of the season, 21.62 seconds, to cleanly capture third place.

The three points awarded for that third place boosted West Sayville’s day long total to twenty-two points, two ahead of Hempstead who ended up second and six ahead of the third place New Hyde Park team. Fourth place overall went to the Patchogue Forty Thieves who earned a day’s total of ten and one-half points while the Bay Shore Redskins claimed fifth place honors with ten points. In all, forty-four teams vied for the state
title including eight from upstate New York.

The thirteen hour tournament marathon began minutes after 8:00 a.m. under bright sunny skies but cool temperatures and blustery winds. For the first three and one-half hours of competition it looked like the Flying Dutchmen were on their way to again dominating the competition. Ryan and Danny Tenney along with Michael Marra combined their ladder climbing talents to easily capture first place in the Three Man Ladder
contest with a run of 6.32 seconds.

Michael Marra returned to the track in the next two contests where he and his father Robert, as driver, ladder spikers Frank R. Miller, Jr. and Richard Quenzer and Ryan Huguenin as the thrower scored first place finishes in the B Ladder and C Ladder contests with times of 5.03 seconds and 8.65 seconds respectively.

For Bob Marra the two contests were the last time he would be driving the ladder events in the annual statewide competition as he looks forward to leaving the driver’s seat at the end of the season. A sweep of the motorized ladder events was a fitting departure from the role.

The first venture of the day into the water contests, C Hose, saw the Flying
Dutchmen come up short of their usual performance with a time well outside of the top five finishers. Prospects improved in B Hose when Scott Rice drove hydrant man Michael Marra, slack puller Huguenin, breaker Greg Hawkins and nozzle man Miller to a third place ending adding three more points to the fifteen grabbed in the ladder contests sweep.

Contenders Hempstead and New Hyde Park were closing in but still a comfortable distance behind. Efficiency, the sixth of eight contests run, saw Hempstead creep a little closer when their first place run bettered West Sayville’s 9.16 seconds effort by four places.

Additional ground was lost in Motor Pump when New Hyde Park took first place and the five points that goes along with it, Hempstead gained two points with a fourth place run and the Flying Dutchmen finished just outside of the point earning slots in sixth place. Now, the two competitors
were within striking distance, keeping all three teams and their fans on the edge of their seats for the nail-biting, memory-making finish that followed in Buckets.

The 2007 New York State Championship title is the ninth in the history of the West Sayville Flying Dutchmen and continues their honor of being the team to have won the prestige drill the most frequently since its inception in 1946. The first two came in 1975 and 1977, the third in 1994 and the remaining five in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005. The state drill win is also the sixth of the season for the Flying Dutchmen.

Team coach Frank R. Miller, Sr. was elated with Saturday’s win especially since he has been affiliated with all nine state championship teams either as a competitor or as coach. “The pressure’s off now,” said Miller “and the rest of the season we can run for the fun of it although a few more victories wouldn’t hurt us.”

The following day Assistant Chief Kelly Barnes proudly led the 2007 New York State champs as well as the remaining officers and members of the West Sayville Fire Department that had come out to accompany the Flying Dutchmen as they stepped off first in the accompanying state parade on Middle Country Road in Selden.

The members of the West Sayville Junior Fire Department and the Golden Eagles Senior Drum and Bugle Corps also joined the department in the line of march. The entire contingent collected countless accolades for the team’s performance as they progressed along the parade
route until reaching the end point at the Selden Fire Department headquarters station on Woodmere Place. When the parade was over and the judges’ results were tallied, the Golden Eagles Senior Drum and Bugle Corps learned that they had earned a second place in the Best Appearing Fire Department Musical Unit category.

The Flying Dutchmen will be competing next in the annual Riverhead Fire Department Invitational Drill on Saturday, August 25. About twenty fire department teams typically compete in the daylong competition that kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on the fire department’s training facility next to the Riverhead Armory on Route 58.

The 2007 New York State Champion Flying Dutchmen drill team is coached by Frank R. Miller, Sr. and comprised of Captain David Banks, Lieutenant Gary A. Schaum, Kristy Banks, Brian D’Onofrio, William Golly, Gregory Hawkins, Michael Heerbrandt, Ryan Huguenin, Chad Leigh-Manuell, Michael Marra, Robert Marra, Frank R. Miller, Jr., John Nacewicz, Allen Newhouse, Joseph Quenzer, Richard Quenzer, Scott Rice, Daniel Tenney, Ryan Tenney and Nigel Whalen.

West Sayville Fire Department
Organized 1891
Tel: (631) 567-9464
Fax: (631) 567-3219
80 MAIN STREET, WEST SAYVILLE, N.Y. 11796