Once again, the Sayville Fire Department hosted Sayville's 144th Memorial Day Parade. Mother Nature provided a nice breeze and lots of sunshine that day for parade-goers to enjoy while watching military organizations, fire departments and various community groups pass through Main Street. This year, the Fire Department broke tradition and gave the honor of Grand Marshals to the wives of Ex-Chiefs Donald Hodgkinson , Albert Weeks and Robert Wines, who all died in the line of duty while serving our town.

Shortly before the parade, Ann Hodgkinson, Rose Weeks and Helen Wines were told that they were also being given the honor of christening Sayville's new trucks after the Sayville Fire Department Memorial Service. There were tears, jokes about wasting good bottles of champagne and kind words about their extended fire department family. Ann Hodgkinson was especially emotional about christening the tower ladder since her husband was the Chauffer of the tower ladder at the alarm where he passed away. In addition, her son, Ex-Chief/Commissioner Don Hodgkinson worked tirelessly on both the Federal grant that financed part of the tower ladder's refurbishment and the truck committee that oversaw the project.

During the memorial service, the audience listened to heartfelt words of remembrance about fallen firefighters. They were treated to beautiful music performed by the Sayville High School Band. VFW members also stood tall with their flags and rifles. After the memorial service, the parade marshals each christened a truck. To the delight of family, friends and neighbors, each parade Marshall squinted their eyes, smiled, took a swing (or two or three) until the champagne bottles broke and the bubbly stuff spilled onto the truck and Main Street. Sayville Fire Department Cadets put on their gear and followed with a traditional wet down of each new truck.

Some might have quietly wondered why we replaced three pieces of apparatus this year. Behind the shiny red exterior of Sayville's well-maintained trucks are components and parts that have served in fires inside and outside the borders of Sayville and have worn the affects of use, the elements (snow, ice salt, sand, etc.) as well as age. Sayville's Board of Commissioners considered every option available to update the aging equipment and came up with an option that did not require a tax increase for its residents. A decision was made to refurbish the 1985 tower ladder instead of purchasing a new one and offset the costs with a $400,000 Federal grant. Because of the savings realized with the tower ladder project, they were able to also replace two pumpers that had been in service for a combined total of over 40 years.

Members of the Sayville Fire Department would like to thank the community for their support and look forward to continuing to provide quality fire protection and community service for the residents of the Sayville Fire District.