GCFD Gets Call Seconds Before Homecoming Parade Starts

Fires can happen anywhere and anytime, including during a Homecoming parade.

The Garden City Fire Department responded to a call seconds before Saturday's Homecoming parade was due to begin.

According to Chief Bill Castoro, firefighters received a call about a fire as they were waiting for the parade to officially start.

Trucks sat on Franklin Avenue waiting for the signal to turn onto Seventh Street and enter the parade, which was due to start at 1 p.m. Garden City Police suddenly whipped barricades aside and the GCFD trucks sounded their alarms as they sped away to respond to the call.

The fire turned out to be a false alarm that was set off by cooking, Castoro said. Trucks were able to slip back into the parade on Cherry Valley Avenue at Stewart Avenue, he said.

This wasn't the first time the call of duty interrupted homecoming in Garden City, Castoro said.

"We had a working apartment building fire at 365 Stewart Avenue many years ago while waiting to kick off the homecoming parade," he said, adding that calls often come in during parades.