Members of the Merrick Fire Department took part in the 62nd annual Hempstead Invitational Drill Saturday.

The Merrick Buckeyes team raced against fire department squads from across Long Island in a variety of events, including the three-man ladder, motor pump and buckets.

The Buckeyes, among the 32 teams involved in the event, did not place in the top five, but from the smiling faces seen in our photos from Saturday, it's pretty clear our local heroes had plenty of fun.

The top five teams with the highest combined scores were (in order): West Sayville, Islip, Central Islip, North Lindenhurst and New Hyde Park.

The Buckeyes placed third in a drill competition last month.