Copyright 2005 Newsday, Inc.
By Raymond J. Keating
During college, I worked for a buddy with a landscaping business and who also was a volunteer fireman. On rainy days, since we couldn’t cut lawns, we’d goof off at his Long Island firehouse.
I remember the elaborate rec room, including an impressive bar, huge television, top-notch sound system, rich seating, billiards table and arcade games.
The volunteer firefighters I knew simply assumed they deserved such benefits.
That was more than 20 years ago. Maybe things changed. Well, as made clear by Newsday’s eight-day series on Long Island’s volunteer firefighting system, it’s gotten worse. While jaws may drop over the abuses reported, no one should be surprised. It’s a textbook case of government waste.
The series highlighted all kinds of extravagance. Huge firehouses are becoming the norm, with elaborate recreational facilities. Some have swimming pools, one has a bowling alley, and a Jericho firehouse under construction features a gym, sundeck, sauna and library. How about handmade wool-and-cashmere suits for fire officials in Middle Island; training seminars on cruise ships; and tournament racing car teams? A Wantagh engine company owns a 129-acre Adirondack hunting camp and the Wyandanch firefighters benevolent association has a vacation lodge in the Poconos. For good measure, Long Island has fancier, costlier and more available fire trucks than needed.
Such waste shows how corrupting government can be, even for voluntary activities. When spending other people’s money - whether raised through taxes or fundraisers - there are few incentives for being frugal, but many incentives for spending freely. Newsday noted that taxpayer costs for Long Island fire districts grew three times as fast as other local government spending from 1980 to 2000.
That’s downright frightening around here.
This combines with a widespread entitlement mentality. The attitude persists that hours of volunteering with the fire department deserve to be compensated with extensive perks. One firefighter told me last week, “Whatever we get, we deserve.” By the way, “voluntary” is defined by Webster’s as “done without profit, payment, or any valuable consideration.”
Then add to the mix that no substantive checks and balances, always critical in government, exist when it comes to independent fire districts. Most voters have no idea when fire district votes are held, so most people casting ballots are involved in the fire department.
Such coziness warrants concern.
Yet the state neglects to provide accountability. As reported, the last time a Long Island fire district was audited by the state comptroller was in 2001.
Meanwhile, as is often the case with government, the level of spending has little to do with performance. Newsday reported some of the most expensive fire departments provide the slowest service. Mega-firehouses are built with luxuries hoping to attract more members, but apparently no evidence exists that this spending raises membership.
Long Islanders, unfortunately, should be used to such problems. We pay among the highest taxes in the nation for public schools and police protection, without evidence that such extravagant spending leads to any better results.
Criticizing wasteful spending on schools, police and fire departments does not mean one does not appreciate such services. I have great admiration for people who volunteer to provide the community with vital protection. Few people want to curtail the basic social benefits that have long been part of being a volunteer firefighter.
But the assumption that Long Island must pay top dollar for luxurious fire departments - as well as expensive public schools and police protection - to get quality service is preposterous. Most other locales around the nation pay far less and get equal or better government services.
Apparently, some people running fire departments across Long Island have forgotten that their ultimate responsibility is not to the recreational desires of volunteer firefighters, but to provide reliable fire protection at the best possible cost.