WEST SAYVILLE FLYING DUTCHMEN

CRUISE TO SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LI INVITATIONAL DRILL TITLE

For the sixth consecutive year the West Sayville Fire Department’s Flying Dutchmen Drill Team claimed top honors at the Annual Long Island Invitational Parade and Drill hosted by the Lindenhurst Fire Department on Saturday, June 2, 2012. Vying in the 52nd occurrence of the drill against sixteen other volunteer fire departments from throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties, West Sayville was able to amass thirty-five of a possible forty points in the eight-contest tournament which typically is the first of the summer. The North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers placed second overall with sixteen points and the Central Islip Hoboes ended in third with thirteen and one-half points. The twelve points each earned over the course of the day by the Bay Shore Redskins, Roslyn Highlanders and St. James Wildcats put them all in a three-way tie for fourth place.

Despite the occasional threat of rain it was a bright day for West Sayville as they won the first contest, Three Man Ladder, to take an early tournament lead and never fell from the top of the leader board after that. In fact, by the three-quarter mark in the drill the Flying Dutchmen had clinched the overall victory having a thirteen point spread over their closest competitor at the time. Nonetheless, the team went on to win the last two events – Motor Pump and Buckets - adding another ten points to their day’s efforts. In the end the team walked away with its 159th tournament victory since competing for the first time in the Suffolk County Volunteer Firemen’s Association Drill of 1892.
Team Captain Gary A Schaum marveled at the team’s performance so early in the season noting that even with a change in drivers for the year, as well as during the drill itself, the team seemed to take it all in stride. “Our execution was right on the mark and it appears we picked up where we left off last year despite the long winter break” explained the proud captain as he helped gather the trophy cache for the drill.

The Flying Dutchmen garnered their points with first place finishes in the Three Man Ladder (6.38 seconds), B Ladder (5.18 seconds), C Hose (12.49 seconds), B Hose (7.84 seconds), Motor Pump (5.66 seconds) and Buckets (21.30 seconds) contests coupled with a third place effort in C Ladder (9.46 seconds) and a fourth place run in the Efficiency (9.94 seconds) event.

On Saturday, June 23, the West Sayville Flying Dutchmen will be traveling to Brookhaven Town Firemen's Park in Ridge to compete in the Selden Fire Department’s fourth annual motorized invitational drill.  More than twenty fire departments are signed up to participate in the mid-afternoon tournament that is scheduled to kickoff at 3:00 p.m.

The 2012 Flying Dutchmen Drill Team is coached by Frank R. Miller, Sr. and G. Scott Schrader and comprised of Captain Gary A. Schaum, Lieutenant Ryan Tenney, David Banks, Kristy Banks, Patrick Garrett, Michael Heerbrandt, Ryan Huguenin, Chad Leigh-Manuell, Michael Marra, Robert Marra, Frank R. Miller, Jr., Allen Newhouse, Robert Noonan, Richard Quenzer, Joseph Quenzer, Douglas Quenzer and Daniel Tenney.