By Eden Laikin
Newsday
TERRYVILLE, N.Y. — In Terryville, beer is no longer served at the volunteer firefighters’ annual carnival.
In Holbrook, a firefighter can’t respond to a call or operate a fire district vehicle at a parade or any other related activity if he has consumed alcohol within the past six hours.
And in the Roslyn Highlands fire department, beer is now kept in locked coolers in the recreation room and can be dispensed only on specific occasions.
Fire officials throughout Long Island say more and more departments are restricting the use of alcohol. Some acted following incidents that reflected poorly on their departments. In one case in Mount Sinai in 2002, a volunteer firefighter died in an alcohol-related accident.
Others say they’re taking action before incidents occur.
“We’ve been very proactive — we did this before anything negative happened,” said James McCann, president of the Roslyn Highlands district.
The issue of volunteer firefighters and drinking surfaced last week as Oceanside fire officials prepared formal misconduct charges against several of its members after an alleged alcohol-related incident at a block party last month.
According to eyewitnesses, more than a dozen firefighters returning from a parade drove a firetruck down a cordoned-off street during the party, with its lights and sirens on. Several guests at the block party said some of the young firefighters held beer bottles as they got off the truck, and that they fought with three male guests.
But Oceanside is not alone in having to discipline its members for alcohol-related incidents.
The Hicksville fire department disciplined several members after an alcohol-related incident away from firehouse property in 2005, in which a young firefighter was injured, according to a letter by department attorney Joseph Frank.
Residents said a group of firefighters were racing cars up and down Woodbury Road after hours of drinking at the firehouse following a funeral. A volunteer fell and was injured.
In the letter, the attorney noted the difficulty in disciplining volunteers.
“The volunteer fire service presents a unique challenge when it comes to discipline, since the need to continue to maintain an adequate staff and the need to maintain discipline must be balanced in an environment where there is no significant financial incentive to retain personnel as in a paid workplace,” Frank said.
Richard Nolan, an attorney who represents 10 Long Island fire departments, says he’s seen the level of drinking at firehouses diminish since the days when he first became a firefighter.
“They don’t allow drinkers to respond to calls,” he said. “Twenty years ago, they’d have bars with open taps, and you’d walk in anytime you wanted. Now, it’s only done at specific times, like after meetings. It’s very restricted.”
In Stewart Manor in Nassau County, Mayor Joseph Troiano tried to enforce an existing law banning alcohol consumption in government workplaces, including fire headquarters.
Troiano said a firefighter party in summer last year that resulted in $58,000 in property damage to Village Hall prompted him to force the issue.
Troiano, who commended the majority of the village’s firefighters, said he was subjected to verbal abuse at meetings for his stance.
Nonetheless, he said, “I stand resolute in my conviction. Alcohol belongs nowhere near these departments. They’re operating critical life-saving equipment.”
In a 4-1 vote in July, village trustees voted to continue the law banning alcohol in the workplace. But they exempted the firehouse, where alcohol still can be used in the recreation room, located in Village Hall, after meetings and training.
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.