This letter is in response to John Tarpey, an ex-member of the North Massapequa Fire Department, in regard to Commissioner Frank A. Nocerino and the workings of the North Massapequa Fire District. His letter refers to some additional facts that should be brought to the attention of your readers. As chief of the North Massapequa Fire Department, I have no problem informing your readers that we are one of the best educated, best equipped and best trained departments in New York state as a result of the fine fiscal management of Commissioner Nocerino and the entire board of fire commissioners.

This past year I have placed in service an EMS car that enables our medical technicians to respond faster to medical emergencies. Additional members have been sent for advanced medical training to man this vehicle. I know that my family and neighbors feel assured that in the event of a medical emergency they will be given rapid and efficient care. New technical firefighting equipment has also been purchased that will enable us to locate fires behind closed walls, thereby making it easier to extinguish fires, while causing minimal damage to our neighbors' property.

These are just some of the items that the taxpayers' moneys are expended for. I feel very secure in the knowledge that Commissioner Nocerino and the entire board of fire commissioners does not have a problem in spending taxpayers' moneys in a responsible manner to see that the residents of the North Massapequa Fire District receive the best fire and emergency care available. They are also taxpayers who serve unpaid, as do all the members of the North Massapequa Fire Department. I do question if it's fair for an ex-member, who left the department with bad feelings to give half the facts or what he believes to be the facts, or is it personal feelings toward one member of the board of fire commissioners. The main fact that Tarpey neglects to mention when writing is that the North Massapequa Fire District, unfortunately, has one of the lowest proportions of commercial business and highest proportion of tax-exempt properties, i.e., schools, churches and libraries of any fire district in Nassau County.

Ralph J. Raymond