Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
By Newsday (New York)
Last November’s long, carefully documented series in Newsday by Elizabeth Moore examined the shortcomings of the volunteer fire system that protects Long Island. At the same time as it paid due recognition to the firefighters for serving the community, it raised legitimate concerns about extravagant spending on firehouses, equipment, travel and perks. Now, a sensible package of legislation in Albany addresses the issues that the series raised.
Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), chairman of the Committee on Local Governments, and other Assembly members who are sponsoring bills in the package, have put together the right kind of reforms, working closely with and enjoying the support of three statewide fire organizations: the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York, and the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs.
That shows excellent leadership skills on Sweeney’s part, but it does not guarantee that this package of bills will pass. No matter what the three statewide groups say, it’s more than possible that local fire districts, chiefs and firemen may feel threatened by the bills. Legislators tend to be deferential to volunteer firefighters, out of respect for their service. So these bills are by no means assured an easy ride.
But if you look at the reforms, they make excellent sense. For example, the bills would expand the authority of the state comptroller to audit fire companies; sharpen the criteria for banquet and travel expenses; encourage the development of codes of ethics; and increase public awareness of and involvement in fire district elections - by nudging fire districts into holding elections on Tuesdays rather than, say, the Friday night before Labor Day.
To our eyes, there’s nothing in these bills that volunteer firefighters ought to find odious. Quite the contrary. These commonsense enhancements of accountability can only serve to give the public a greater sense that firefighters, in addition to being generous with their time, are also being judicious with the taxpayer dollars that they are spending. As much as the public may be willing to aid firefighter recruitment by offering perks, voters should at least have a better chance to know how their money is being spent.