38. Bernard Medard Ofenloch (1957-1959)
Served 2 Years
Bernard Medard Ofenloch was born September 7, 1921, in the village of Hicksville, the son of Joseph and Margaret (Jacobs) Ofenloch. He married Alice Apgar in October of 1947. They lived at 59 West Cherry Street and 86 Benjamin Avenue. Medard worked for Grumman Aerospace, before taking on a career with the Nassau County Police Department.
Medard was a Veteran of World War II, serving in the US Army participating in several battles in the South Pacific of Saipan, Iowa Jima, Timian, and Japan. Sgt. Ofenloch had a bird’s eye view over Tokyo Bay when the Japanese signed the surrender document while circling overhead in B-29 Superfortress, from about 800 feet up in the air.
Medard, as he was affectionately known, was a 3rd Generation Firefighter, and his grandfather, Phillip was Foreman in 1858 of Protection Hook and Ladder Company 1, before the Department was organized. Following in his family tradition, he joined Protection Hook and Ladder Company One on February 12, 1942. He served as Lieutenant in 1947, and subsequently became Captain from 1949 to 1950. Medard’s brothers all served in the department at the same time; Henry, Hubert, Anslem, and Gerard. Medard’s son Thomas, also became a member and served as Captain and Fire Commissioner.
Medard was narrowly elected in 1954 to serve as 2nd Assistant Chief when he edged out Charles Saurer, 68 to 66 votes with Conrad Schlauch coming in a distant third with 22. Medard would continue to serve in 1955, and he was elected as 1st Assistant Chief in 1956-1957, before taking on the rank as the 38th Fire Chief in 1957-1959. Ofenloch turned away a challenge from Charles Saurer as he was going into his second term. Chief Ofenloch received 118 votes with Saurer garnering 31. It was during his term as Chief that the department changed to have their elections in April of 1958 and added a 3rd Assistant Chief.
The increased backlog of prospective members and increased fire alarms had Chief Ofenloch and the department requesting the Fire Commissioners to consider the possibility of forming a seventh fire company. Through the continued efforts of Chief Ofenloch, his request became reality on April 25, 1957, when Engine Company Seven was organized with Ex-Captain Cliff Davis of Volunteer Hose Company Four acting as their interim captain. That company was assigned the old 1939 Seagrave which was once the apparatus of Volunteer Hose Company Four.
The department made a motion to ask the Fire Commissioners to have them purchase a Chief's car, a Chevrolet Wagon for Chief Ofenloch. This would be the first car to be used by any Chief in Hicksville.
During his term on September 14, 1957, the members were placed on 24-hour duty with round-the-clock shifts stationed at the Strong Street firehouse. The members staffed radio shortwave systems, operating on emergency generators, and remained in full operation. This all while a hypothetical “H-Bomb” was dropped on Long Island in a full-scale drill. The Mid-Island Plaza with almost a mile of underground tunnels was converted into a Civil Defense operation headquarters. In this underground shelter was the Civil Defense Command Post, communications center, as well as sizable accommodations for the Welfare and Medical Units.
There were several significant fires during his term.
Intense heat caused intensive damage to second-floor apartments in the professional Building at 108 Broadway. The elderly tenants were found in the smoked filled hallway by Sam Weiss and Joe Braun with the help of Jack Leckie. The tenant was transported to Meadowbrook Hospital in the Fire Department ambulance.
In February, seventy-five firemen fought flames on the second floor of the Rainbow Restaurant at 108 Broadway. Thick smoke hampered the volunteers, and the burned-out staircase made it difficult to tackle flames with exterior ladders. Damage to the first-floor restaurant was minimal because the bar was open for business the same day.
A lightning bolt struck the Dwyer barn on Newbridge Road, next to the Village Green, shortly after midnight in May and set fire to the roof. When firemen arrived on the scene, flames were already breaking out of the roof at three points. The three farm trucks stored in the barn were backed out to safety despite falling ember and portions of the ceiling. Moments after the trucks were rolled out, the ceiling and roof of the barn crashed down.
In December, a pre-dawn fire caused extensive damage to Hubert’s Delicatessen and the Carle Restaurant on the west side of Broadway near Nicholai Street and included the dramatic rescue of two people from a second-floor apartment. The residents who live in the apartment over the restaurant climbed out on a one-story extension roof in the freezing cold when they realized that their exit down the stairs was blocked by smoke and flames. The alarm, which was sounded by the owners of the delicatessen, were aroused by the smoke in their apartment over the store and made their way down the stairs to the street. The fire apparently broke out in the walls between the Restaurant at 128 Broadway and Hubert’s Delicatessen at 130 Broadway. The smoke and heat caused extensive damage to both establishments.
Fire caused over $150,000 in damage to the County Neon Sign Company that was located at Jerusalem Avenue and at the Railroad Trestle on Broadway.
Another fire proved to be challenging at the Magnesium Casting Company located on Duffy Avenue at the corner of Charlotte Avenue. Mutual aid was provided by McArthur Airport, Grumman, and the Bohemia FD due to the G1 Powder that burned for hours.
In March of 1958 Chief Ofenloch received the newest apparatus to its fleet. The Mack 1,000 GPM pumper cost $30,000 and assigned to Company 3, replacing the war-time Dodge fire truck.
The department attended funeral services for Ex-Chief Anthony Manzolillo with department services and internment at Nassau Knolls Cemetery in Port Washington.
Medard was Chairman of the 100th Anniversary Parade in 1968, celebrating fire protection for the community. Medard was also a charter member of the Rescue Squad in 1955 and was the Department’s Sergeant-At-Arms and its Chaplin from 1987-2008.
Medard took active rolls in several major department committees including the Welfare Committee, Fund Drive, and the Annual Hicksville FD Labor Day Parade & Tournament Committee, where he served as its chairman in 1959 and again in 1964. In 1977 he was recognized for his efforts as the annual Grand Marshal. Medard was a mainstay each year in setting up the temporary grandstands at the annual event.
He was a member of the “Hicks” Drill Team for over 30 years and was their Captain in 1968 and 1969 and again in 1973 through 1976.
Medard was a long-time member of the Volunteer and Exempts Firemen’s Benevolent Association of Hicksville and served as their President in 1954-1955 before taking on the role of Trustee for many years. He was President of the 9th Battalion Chiefs Council, a member of the New York State Fire Chiefs Association and the New York State Firemen's Association.
In 1965, Medard Ofenloch was elected Commissioner of the Hicksville Fire District and served until 1969, serving as its chairman in 1968. He was a member of the Hicksville Veterans of Foreign War (VFW), the American Legion and he was a 4th Degree Grand Knight of the Joseph Barry Council.
Chief Ofenloch passed away on February 19, 2008, and is interred at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale NY.
Chief Ofenloch was the 1st Chief to be issued a car by the fire district 
Ex Chief Ofenloch as a Grand Marshal during the Protection Hook & Ladder 100th Anniversary Parade in 1968. He is steering the Wantagh horse drawn truck. 
Chief Ofenloch shown during the overhaul stage of a store fire 
During the heyday of the Rheingold Beer contest from 1941 to 1964, the election of a new Miss Rheingold was an exciting, anticipated event. The picture shown of the six young women were at the annual Labor Day Parade with Chief Ofenloch. Designed to sell Rheingold Beer, it did that and much more. It became an annual event with everyone voting for their favorite. At the height of the campaign there were 35,000 boxes displayed at the end of aisles, atop crates of Rheingold beer and on bar tops - always with pictures of the six finalists framing the box
