The Mastic Fire Department celebrated a century of service on Saturday with a centennial parade and festival that drew emergency service agencies from across Long Island.
Residents cheered the parade along Montauk Highway as it made its way to the department’s headquarters on Mastic Road. More than two dozen fire departments and ambulance companies marched in solidarity with Mastic’s volunteers.
Joining the centennial celebration were units from the Copiague, Brookhaven, Shady Grove Antique, Mastic Beach, Center Moriches, Manorville, Yaphank, East Moriches, Westhampton Beach, Bellport, Hagerman, Saint James, Southampton, Riverhead, Brentwood, Medford, Gordon Heights, Selden, Centereach, Westbury, East Hampton, and Sound Beach fire departments, as well as ambulance companies from Mastic, Mastic Beach, Shirley, and East Moriches.
Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, a 40-year volunteer with the Medford Fire Department, praised the event as a reminder of what binds the community together. “When you see so many departments marching side by side, it shows the strength and unity of the fire service family. The Mastic Fire Department has been protecting this community for 100 years, and today we come together to say thank you.”
Senator Dean Murray called the centennial “a true testament to service,” adding, “The volunteers here—and across Long Island—run toward danger when others run away. Their courage is what keeps our communities safe.”
Also participating in the event was Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella. “The Mastic Fire Department is more than just a first responder agency,” he said. “It’s a cornerstone of the community, with generations of families dedicating themselves to the call of service. This celebration honors them all.”
The festivities continued with live music, food vendors, raffles, and commemorative centennial items, as the community looked back on 100 years of sacrifice and forward to the next century of service.