Local News
Judges in Port Jervis' parade enjoy their volunteer duties
By Sharon E. Siegel
Jul 27, 2008, 08:21 PST

Have you ever wondered how the highly coveted fire department parade awards are tagged for distribution each year?

Annual selections are methodically scored by a dedicated volunteer group of parade judges who stand post along sections of the parade route. Each judge takes precise notes on criteria assigned to each unit under consideration.

Chief Judge Hank Brisky

Chief Judge Hank Brisky, who was stationed at the reviewing stand of Port Jervis Fire Department's 158th Annual Inspection Day Parade on July 12, 2008, continually made notations and check marks as each participating unit passed by.

“We do about a half-a-dozen parades each year, but this year there are more,” said Brisky. “Any county or department that calls, we go.”

The judges, while they want everyone -- including themselves -- to have fun take the details of their jobs very seriously.

“We have a lot of fun, but we also make sure we do our jobs right,” he said. “We watch for such things as the way they march, their rhythm and step, their uniforms, and whether they salute at the reviewing stand,” said Brisky, who pointed out a missing button on one fireman’s sleeve and an improper patch on another’s. “I also spoke with a group earlier for blowing their horn too much. There is no need for that.”

Brisky and 18 other judges traveled from multiple counties in New York, New Jersey, and even North Carolina, to monitor this year’s parade. Most have many years of experience in the firefighting field as well as in judging the various departments’ parades.

As a past chief of Silver Lake Fire Department and a commissioner and chairman of the board of Silver Lake Fire District, Brisky helped to form the Silver Lake Fire Company in Middletown in 1962, where he remains a member today. He became a judge many years ago after offering his help and being called the very next day.

“The first parade I ever judged was Port Jervis’,” said Brisky. “When my scores came in they were nearly identical to those who had been doing it for a long time, so I guess they thought I was okay. They made me a permanent judge and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Most recently, his daughter also became a volunteer judge, and Brisky said he and his daughter always looks forward to returning to his judging roots and the longtime tradition of Port Jervis’ parade.

“It’s one of the best parades around. The spectators are wonderful, there are always a lot of cheering people on the streets, and it’s just a great time,” said Brisky. “We can’t wait to come back again next year.”