Greetings of “Happy New Year!” filled the air along with the aromas of the breakfast feast cooked up by Southold Fire Department volunteers at fire department’s 24th annual New Year’s Day buffet breakfast this morning at department headquarters.
The buffet offered pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausage patties, toast and hash browns, served up by vols.
The New Year’s tradition was expected to draw a crowd of 400 to 500 people, said Capt. Deborah Cox of the Protection Engine Company, which coordinated this year’s breakfast. The fire department had more than 50 vols working to ensure the event’s success, doing everything from flipping flapjacks to selling tickets and clearing tables.
The department’s 180 or so members responded to 694 calls from the community in 2015 — more than any other year in the department’s 129-year history. That number includes 521 ambulance calls, according to a flyer on display at the event seeking new members for the department. The workload has created a demand for more members. Slots are available for firefighters, EMTs and support personnel.
“Becoming a member of the Southold Fire Department is not easy — it requires a considerable investment of time and dedication,” the flyer read. “But in return it offers the reward of knowing you have done your best to assist friends and neighbors in the community in their times of need.” Applications are always available for pickup 24/7 at in the radio room he fire department headquarters on Main Road.
SoutholdLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl and Denise Civiletti
