New Nassau Co. FF Museum

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New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com

Ground broken for firefighter museum

BY TARA CONRY

DAILY NEWS WRITER

Wednesday, August 10th, 2005

Dilapidated carriages, worn-leather buckets and singed helmets preserved in a Bethpage fireman's garage have given birth to Nassau County's first firefighters museum.

In the 50 years Frank Pendl served as a volunteer firefighter, instructor and fire marshal, he dreamed of a place that would capture the rich history of Nassau County's volunteer force and teach youngsters life-saving skills.

When he wasn't working three jobs, raising 12 kids or running into burning buildings, Pendl restored and collected the vintage fire equipment in his backyard.

"He wanted to preserve the whole story of the fire service," said his wife, Mary Jane, who joined County Executive Tom Suozzi and veteran firefighters in Garden City to break ground on the Francis X. Pendl Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center.

Her daughter, Mary Jane Trigilio, 44, looked on as her mother drove a shovel into the museum's future site - adjacent to the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

"It's bittersweet - somebody's missing," said Trigilio, who recalled a childhood of painting fire engines with her dad in their garage. Pendl died in April 2004 at age 75 of cancer - months shy of seeing his plan take off.

"It's like a dream come true," said Angelo Catalano, a retired New York City firefighter who has served 46 years with North Bellmore's volunteer force.

Since Pendl's death, Catalano has shouldered the responsibilities of chairman of the museum board - fund-raising, hiring designers and enlisting the support of local politicians.

Suozzi said he first became aware of the need for the museum while serving as mayor of Glen Cove, where the fire department was searching for a place to house one of its retired fire engines.

Suozzi agreed to match the $700,000 Catalano raised through donations from sponsors such as Cablevision, Winthrop Hospital and the 71 volunteer firehouses countywide.

The first phase of the museum - set to open Jan. 1 - will occupy only 5,000 square feet in Hangar 2 at the old Mitchell Field. The $2 million development would showcase Long Island's oldest fire engines and artifacts recovered from firehouses across the county.

The museum also will feature a fire education center, equipped with a theater and interactive displays, to teach fire safety skills.

There are plans to begin renovating Hangar 5 in the next three to five years, which could cost $8 million.

"We're starting small to show we can do this successfully and get the enthusiasm to go onto stage two," Suozzi said.

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Really a nice idea. I'd love to see a firefighting and EMS museum in Westchester....there's certainly a lot of heritage and history.