By Hector Flores
The festivities were held last Sunday, June 4, next to the Cradle of Aviation on Museum Row in Garden City.
Some of the activities included, a sneak preview of the museum at 10 a.m., a parade at 11 a.m. and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12 p.m.
The museum was the brain child of two firefighters Francis Pendl and Andy Steinmuller, who wanted to increase public awareness and appreciation for the county's volunteer firefighters. The duty of seeing this dream come to fruition fell on East Meadow resident Angelo Catalano, a retired New York city firefighter and current fire commissioner of the North Bellmore fire district.
All visitors to the museum will be provided with fire safety tips, learn how to put out a fire and get a history lesson on the county's fire service. The museum will also have two old-fashioned fire trucks and a horse drawn wagon that will serve as reminders of firefighting's early days and the progress that has been made since.
