Since 1993, the Australian Firefighters Calendar has raised over $3.4 million for charities down under. Known for cheeky beefcake shots of shirtless, firefighting heroes, the annual Aussie month-to-month agenda is perhaps the most popular fundraising calendar in the world.
But they’re not the only heroes with day-tracking-chutzpah: The Greenport Fire Department have thrown their red hats in the ring, too, creating their very own 2025 Greenport Fire Department calendar. And while there’s less skin than the antipodean version, it’s still smokin’ hot — and the proceeds raised go directly to the all-volunteer fire-fighting organization.
Ax and you shall receive
David Nyce, one of the Greenport Fire Department chiefs, says the idea to do a calendar had been floated frequently over the years but that the volunteers he refers to as “Mr. April” and “Mr. August” separately suggested they light a fire under the project. Nyce loved the idea and set about making it happen with the help of his wife, Jennifer Benton, a realtor with a background in photography who assisted with production.
“I wanted the first calendar to stand out and not look like a cheap giveaway,” says Benton. “[I wanted to] make it glossy, on heavier paper, something that would be an artistic thing that people would be happy to have on their wall.”
For the actual photography, Nyce and Benton approached a familiar North Fork local that elevated the calendar to an entirely different level.
“Jen and I were sitting at Little Creek one happy hour,” Nyce recalls. “[Photographer] Dave Benthal was sitting there and I said, ‘Would you be interested in doing a fire department calendar?’ And his eyes lit up and he said, ‘absolutely!’”
Benthal, who Northforker readers will know for his striking work in Northforker and Southforker, is a career photographer whose work extends far beyond eastern Long Island and has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue and many other publications. A Greenport resident, Benthal was so enthusiastic about the project that he donated his time and work.
“There’s a history of camp with that stuff,” Benthal says. “They’re all sort of funny and fun and clever, more than anything. We couldn’t go full beefcake calendar but I wanted to keep it light and fun.”
Benthal and Nyce set up a block of time for anyone in the fire department who wanted to model for the calendar. The photos were taken at both the main firehouse and the substation. Nyce initially didn’t plan to be in the calendar himself, but wanted to “lead by example,” so he posed as Mr. September.
He also made it clear to the volunteers that they didn’t have to follow the less-is-more example of the Australian calendar. “Initially it was, ‘oh, we’re doing a sexy firefighter calendar?’ and I said I’m going to leave it to anyone who’s comfortable,” Nyce says.
Bringing the heat
Ultimately, the calendar has a mix of male and female members of the department, some in pairs and some solo.
“We wanted to show the diversity of the department, age-wise, sex-wise, and it worked out beautifully,” Nyce says, noting that one of the goals of the calendar is to recruit new members to the all-volunteer fire department and that all walks of life are encouraged to join.
The process was a blast for the members of the fire department, largely because Benthal — who has photographed everyone from local farmers to A-list celebrities — made sure they had a good time. He even brought a smoke machine to zhuzh up some of the scenes, which all center on the models posing with fire trucks and equipment.
“I’m very used to shooting people who are not necessarily keen on the idea,” he says. “So it’s pretty much second nature to me to bring something out in them.”
The calendar, which was printed locally at Academy Printing Services in Southold, had its big debut at the Greenport Maritime Festival on Sept. 21 and 22. The department has already sold two thirds of its initial print run of 500 copies and is considering making it an annual tradition.
“It’s a very active volunteer fire department, and I don’t think there’s a lot of awareness in the community about how much time goes into serving,” says Nyce. “To have some fun with this and to get this out to the community so they can see the faces and realize these are their friends and neighbors is really great.”
The Greenport Fire Department Calendar is currently available for $20 and is being sold at Clarke’s Garden and Home (416 Main St.), Burton’s Bookstore (43 Front St.), the Market (44 Front St.) and Greenport Wine & Spirits (132 Front St.). All proceeds go directly to the fire department.
