News Day
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. — The East Brentwood Fire Department has canceled a beer pong tournament that was advertised to be held after the Town of Islip Fireman’s Parade.
The tournament, which was meant to be a fundraiser held at the department after the Aug. 10 parade, angered some Brentwood residents and members of the Northeast Neighborhood Committee, a community watch group.
A flier for the drinking tourney, in which pingpong balls are tossed into opponents’ beer-filled cups, was posted on the fire department’s website in July by a department member who didn’t have the fundraiser approved through proper channels, said Chief Nick Grammenos. The chief said the Web page was removed Thursday night after he learned of the posting.
“At no point was it authorized by the department...I would never authorize drinking games to be held on department grounds,” Grammenos said Friday. He added that the person responsible for posting the flier has been suspended from the department, though he would not say for how long or give the person’s name. “They had good intentions, but it was poorly thought out,” he said.
Doris Davidson, president of the Northeast Neighborhood Committee, said she saw the flier on the department’s website Thursday and was outraged that the department, funded by taxpayer dollars, would open itself to a potentially dangerous situation.
“Who would have such a liability on their hands? They’re constantly asking for donations, for money,” Davidson said of the department. “You’re opening yourself to a can of worms here. Who’s responsible when people leave drunk?”
Grammenos said the advertisement for the tournament only appeared on the website.
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