For 50 years, the NYPD hockey team and the FDNY hockey team have faced off in the last game of the season. For 50 years, this rivalry has sparked joy for fans and raised thousands of dollars for charity. For 50 years, this matchup has been a way to see the first responders of New York City in a different light. The HEROES Hockey Game is an unrivaled rivalry, played with the same grit and courage these men bring to their jobs each and every day.
The NYPD and FDNY hockey teams play many games throughout a season, but the game where the two face off seems to be more important than the rest. This year, the annual rivalry game between the two was held on April 30 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. This was the first time the foes met in brand new UBS Arena, which opened its doors in late 2021.
Each year, the friendly rivalry between New York’s finest, FDNY, and New York’s bravest, NYPD, takes to the ice to shoot it out for bragging rights. And although both teams play in other tournaments throughout the year, this is the game that means the most. As Team Manager Derek Kern mentioned, “This is our Stanley Cup.”
Few people deserve to be celebrated more than the heroic men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe – we’re talking about firefighters! It’s important that we show our appreciation for their service and sacrifice, not just on September 11th, but all year long. Here are just some of the ways HAIX® is supporting firefighters throughout the year.
The Fire Department of New York (FNDY) has around 430 vehicles in service at any given time, including fire trucks, aerials, tower ladders, equipment vehicles, chief and staff cars. In addition, there are hundreds of rescue and back-up vehicles. The Fleet Services team is in charge of the maintenance and repair of all vehicles in all 221 fire stations in New York City, and all work takes place at the FDNY Repair Center in Queens. HAIX® got exclusive access into the huge workshop to get a first-hand look at the facility that is keeping the nation’s largest fire department in service.
Near the Triboro Bridge in New York City, where the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx meet, FDNY has a 66-acre site known among firefighters as "The Rock". There on Randall’s Island, the department runs its Fire Academy where aspiring and experienced firefighters from each of the districts hone their rescue skills. The training is seen as one of the toughest courses in the world. And, that is why they call it "The Rock!"
Our four-part series on FDNY continues as we take an in-depth look at some of the unique divisions of the world’s most famous Fire Department. In series one, we focused on the legendary team from Rescue 1 in Manhattan, which responded to the 9/11 attacks. For series two, HAIX® got up close and personal with the team at Rescue 5 on Staten Island.
New York is known as the city that never sleeps, and no one knows this better than the more than 11,000 firefighters of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). Seconds after an explosion, dark smoke rose from a narrow brick building on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan’s trendy East Village. Four houses were on fire and one building had already collapsed. It was later revealed that the explosion was caused by work on the water and gas mains. The first fire engine arrived on the scene, followed by ambulances and police cars.