In the Nov. 1 issue of the Manhasset Press, there is a letter to the editor regarding the proposed Manhasset-Lakeville Fire District bond issue, in which the writer brings up many interesting points that should be addressed so that the community knows all the facts and information.

Let me begin by agreeing that times are tough and taxes seem to be rising all around us, but while there are many questions regarding where our county taxes are going, there should be no question or doubt that the monies to be allocated through this bond issue are for our community and the dedicated volunteer firefighters who serve us.

Since September 11, 2001, the volunteer force of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department has grown dramatically with the newly inspired commitment of helping one's neighbor. The board of commissioners of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire District has been working for years to support the volunteer membership of the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department with the safest gear, the most state-of-the-art equipment and the finest apparatus, all while being as fiscally responsible as one could be when it comes to the taxpayers of the MLFD.

The proposed improvements and alterations to all five fire stations are in response to both community requests and the needs of the fire department, its equipment and the safety of its volunteers.

The proposed installation of elevators, handicap access ramps and handicap accessible bathrooms is a result of community requests from local civic groups and, more importantly, the requirements that the fire district meet the requirement of New York State Executive Law #377 - Americans with Disabilities Act compliance - 12/28/1994; NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code - Article 13 of Subchapter B-RS-72, which states that all existing public buildings must have access for the handicapped/disabled to public meeting rooms, bathrooms and public telephones. Public meeting rooms for these firehouses are all on the second floor. MLFD serves the second largest fire protection area in Nassau County, encompassing N. New Hyde Park, Great Neck (south of the Long Island Railroad) and Manhasset; so to ask that civic groups, Veterans' groups and school groups from these various communities use only one central firehouse is unreasonable, in addition the firehouses are evacuation points and areas of refuge for local schools with handicapped students.

The proposed enlargement of Company #4 Firehouse is because OSHA mandated that all trucks have enclosed cabs, no firefighter can ride on the outside of apparatus. Thus, the length and height of new trucks has increased. The proposed alterations and addition of an apparatus bay to Company #4 Firehouse is well within reason due to the fact that, as it stands now, the firehouse built in the 1920s can no longer accommodate 21st century fire apparatus. Presently two pumpers and one 93' tower ladder operate out of the two-truck bay firehouse; these changes are needed to alleviate a very crowded truck room floor, where in addition to the apparatus the volunteers store and don their protective gear within inches of the apparatus rolling out of the firehouse to emergencies, creating a serious safety issue.

The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department currently has an active volunteer firefighter membership in excess of 260, which responds to more than 2,500 alarms annually and ranks in the top 10 busiest fire departments in Nassau County.

In conclusion, the proposed improvements, alterations and repairs to these fire stations are not frivolous expenditures or unnecessary amenities, but a rather fair and reasonable spending package that improves accessibility to community groups, minimizes the costs to taxpayers and creates improved facilities that are safer for the dedicated men and women of the Manhasset-Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department that serve the communities that make up the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire District.

Michael F. Uttaro

Deputy Chief

Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department