N.Y. Firefighter Wins Harley at 2014 Firehouse Expo

BALTIMORE – Frank Hrbek Jr. walked into Firehouse Expo on Saturday morning as a Harley-Davidson owner wannabe. He left that afternoon the proud owner of a sleek black machine, as the winner of the 2014 Harley giveaway.

“I am totally shocked,” Hrbek said, just minutes after having his name drawn from the raffle basket. “I still can’t believe it’s true. I asked a couple of times if there was a catch or something.”

There was no catch. Hrbek won the grand prize of a promotion sponsored by Unication, the makers of a new voice paging device that is the fire service’s first submersible voice pager.

Hrbek is a firefighter and former captain with the Elmont, N.Y., Fire Department and is one of five fire district commissioners for the community. He’s been attending Firehouse Expo for about seven years, this year attending with his son Frank Hrbek III.

“It’s kind of funny, I was talking with a guy just before the drawing, saying; ‘What are the chances of me winning that thing,’” he said. “Then, I heard Frank, but there’s probably a lot of guys named Frank here. Then I heard Hrbek Junior. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Hrbek said he has a buddy who has been after him for years to get a Harley and go riding with him.

“Now I can do it, as soon as I get my license,” Hrbek said. Ironically, he is also a member of the American Legion Post 133 motorcycle riders’ group, but he doesn’t have a bike.

He does now.

“I don’t have any excuses not to go out now,” Hrbek said.