I felt compelled to reply to Mr. Boland's letter to the editor, "Lucky to Know Don Snyder," appearing in last week's edition of your paper. I wholeheartedly share in his compliments and praise for a dedicated and committed commissioner, former chief and someone I have known personally for 35 years. As chief of department in 2002, I and the members of the Wantagh Fire Department honored Don and fellow longtime member Al Kefer (honorary chief) for their 50 years of unselfish service to our community. The community should feel gratification that the men and women of this department, stand vigilant and willing to serve no matter what the time of day or how inclement the weather.

As I have previously stated, however, there is a clear and concise distinction between the essential service a fire department provides to its residents as it pertains to fire protection and medical care and other non-essential expenditures by a fire district, where waste and excesses are prevalent. It is for this reason that I seriously contemplated being a candidate for fire commissioner in the election held just two weeks ago. The task of running against Commissioner Snyder, combined with the enormous respect I have for him, caused me to postpone my candidacy until next year.

In the meantime, I will continue to write letters to the Board of Fire Commissioners and attend monthly meetings in an effort to constrain unnecessary spending, eliminate excesses, all while urging the district to become more transparent. Mr. Boland has every right to express his gratitude toward the volunteer fire service. He should, however, have been totally forthcoming by stating that he is the attorney for the Wantagh Fire District, probably earning more than $17,000 annually for very limited part-time work. This is what I mean by "transparency."

Jim Johnston