HISTORY

1993 TO 2000

    THE DRILL TEAM WAS REBORN IN THE FALL OF 1993 DUE TO THE HARD WORK AND VIGILANCE OF KEVIN BARDEEN AND DON WOOD.  FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT PURCHASED A STEEL LADDER, HANDCART AND NOZZLES FROM THE BROCKPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND A WELL USED WOODEN LADDER FROM THE GATES-CHILI FIRE DEPARTMENT.  TOURNAMENT HOSE WAS THE ONLY NEW EQUIPMENT PURCHASED THAT FIRST YEAR.  PRACTICE WAS HELD BEHIND THE FIREHOUSE, WITH THE OLD BAY 6 ACTING AS THE FIRST ARCH, AND THE PARKING LOT AS THE TRACK.  THE REBORN TEAM'S FIRST TROPHY WAS THIRD PLACE FINISH IN RUNNING HOOK AND LADDER.  THE TEAM ENDED THE 1994 SEASON WITH JUST A FEW POINTS, BUT WAS AWARDED THE YEARLY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD.  THIS WAS THE FIRST OF 4 YEARS IN A ROW THAT THE TEAM WOULD WIN THIS AWARD.

    1996 MARKED A HISTORIC YEAR AS THE CURRENT B-TRUCK WAS PURCHASED.  ORIGINALLY FROM POINT LIDO, LONG ISLAND, THE TRUCK WAS LAST USED BY GATES-CHILI, WHICH HAD IT IN STORAGE FOR A FEW YEARS.  THE B-TRUCK WAS PURCHASED FOR $1,000 AND AFTER HAVING THE ENGINE REBUILT IT MADE ITS FIRST APPEARANCE AT THE SEA BREEZE DRILL IN 1997.  THIS MARKED THE FIRST TIME THAT BARNARD HAD COMPETED WITH A B-TRUCK.  ALL DURING THE SEASON THE TEAM TRAVELED TO HAMLIN AND HENRIETTA FOR PRACTICE.  THERE WERE MANY LATE NIGHT FIXES TO KEEP THE TRUCK RUNNING.  ONE SPECIAL TEAM OF CHUCK BUSS AND EXPLORER ANDY JOHNSON PERFORMED A MID-WEEK EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT TO KEEP THE TEAM ON THE TRACK.  THE TEAM OBTAINED ITS FIRST MOTORIZED TROPHY THAT YEAR, A 3RD PLACE IN B-HOSE.

    THE FALL OF 1998 BROUGHT THE DRILL TEAM TO OTHER MILESTONES.  THE TEAM WAS AWARDED THE MOST IMPROVED B TRUCK AND MOST IMPROVED TRUCK TEAM FOR THE SEASON, NOTING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.  WITH A LOAN FROM THE DEPARTMENT, THE TEAM PURCHASED A C-CAR FROM THE EMPIRE HOSE COMPANY #3 OF MERRICK, LONG ISLAND.  AN ENGINE WAS OBTAINED AND THE CAR WAS REBUILT BY JOHN VERSTRATEN.  THE TRUCK HIT THE TRACK THE SECOND DRILL OF THE 2000 SEASON.  THE RASCALS WERE NOW FULL COMPETITORS, PARTICIPATING IN ALL RACES.

    WHILE THE TEAM HAD WON MANY FOOT RACES, IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE END OF THE 2000 SEASON THAT THE TEAM WON ITS FIRST 1ST MOTORIZED CONTEST.  WITH A TIME OF 6.22 THE TEAM WAS THE BEST AT THE POINT PLEASANT 2000 DRILL IN B-LADDER.  THAT DAY THEY ALSO TOOK 3RD PLACE IN C-LADDER, THE FIRST C-CAR TROPHY EVER WON BY THE TEAM.

    2001 MARKED A SPECIAL SEASON AS MEMBERS OF THE LAKESHORE FIRE DEPARTMENT JOINED BARNARD TO RUN AS A SINGLE TEAM.  THIS PROVED VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND BROUGHT MEMBERS OF THE TWO DEPARTMENTS VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.  JOHN AND BOB VERSTRATEN WORKED LONG AND HARD TO REVAMP THE B-TRUCK PUMP, AND BROUGHT THE B-TRUCK BACK TO LIFE JUST IN TIME FOR THE SEASON.

    THE TEAM HAS ALSO DISTINGUISHED ITSELF OFF THE TRACK.  AT THE 1999 STATE PARADE IN CENTRAL ISLIP, LONG ISLAND, BARNARD WAS AWARDED 3RD PLACE FOR THE BEST APPEARING DRILL TEAM.  THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST STATE PARADE AWARD THE DEPARTMENT HAS EVER RECEIVED.

LINK TO: 1945-1970