By Russell Ben-Ali
Newark Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
Copyright 2007 Newark Morning Ledger Co.
All Rights Reserved
FAIRVIEW, N.J. — A Fairview volunteer fire company is under investigation to determine whether seven firefighters used door-to-door collections earmarked for equipment to pay for a cruise to Cancun, the borough’s fire chief said.
David Masso, chief of the Fairview Fire Department in Bergen County, said that a probe is under way by borough police and fire officials to determine whether any laws were violated by the volunteers.
“That money is usually spent for operating expenses, equipment and stuff you need in the firehouse,” Masso said. “I don’t know if they used that money to go to Cancun. That’s what we’re investigating right now.”
When questioned, a company lieutenant denied the allegation, saying that much of the trip was paid for with money from fundraising festivals that the company gave several years ago, Masso said. He said he did not know the exact breakdown of funds.
The fire chief said officials learned of the cruise, taken by seven of the 12 members of Grandview Company 1, one of the borough’s four fire companies, from its members. One volunteer, a 19-year-old firefighter, attached photos of the trip, along with brief descriptions of tequila benders, to his MySpace page on the Internet.
The probe will try to determine whether the money came from door-to-door collections conducted last 9/11, a practice members have since been told to stop.
“That’s very distasteful,” Masso said. “You can’t go around, knocking on people’s doors, asking for money on September 11th, unless you’re going to donate that money to the victims’ families.”
Messages left for the borough police chief and members of the fire company were not returned yesterday.