I would like to respond to the two letters published recently concerning my criticism of Commissioner Frank Nocerino of the North Massapequa Fire District.

First, it should be pointed out that the fire district and the fire department of North Massapequa are two separate and distinct entities. This note is necessary because my criticism is not of the fire department or its members but of the chairman of the district's board of commissioners. I agree that the volunteers of the department are well trained and do an excellent job for the community. They should be commended for their work.

Secondly, I have no problem with district expenditures for training, apparatus or equipment, directly related to firefighting and/or the rescue services. What I do have a problem with are other expenses, approved by the commissioners, that do not seem to have any direct bearing on the primary role of the firefighters. For example, for years, the board of commissioners had always conducted their meetings in the firehouse on Broadway. Then, around 1981, they decided that this was not good enough, so they had their own building constructed, at a cost of $285,000. Years ago, the district also had no full time employees, since, after all, this was a volunteer department. Now we have full time district employees at a cost of $152,000 annually. That's a cost of upwards of $2.2 million in the 15 years that Mr. Nocerino has been board chairman. Under his leadership, the board also recently spent $350,000 to modernize the front and to add office space to the firehouse on Broadway. The landscaping alone in this case was $6,409.

Chief Raymond's statement that the members of the board and the department all serve without pay is true. However, there are some perks to the job. Members may qualify for a service award program (pension plan), provided by the district, that cost taxpayers over $137,000 annually. They also have the use of private gym facilities, in a building erected by the district at a cost of approximately $375,000 in tax dollars.

Both Chief Raymond and Gennaro Ritieni's letters imply that my criticism stems from some sort of a personal grudge against Mr. Nocerino. There is nothing further from the truth. As a volunteer fireman, I had very little contact with him and, since leaving the department over 25 years ago, I have had no personal contact.

Reportedly, former President Truman had a sign on his desk that read "The Buck Stops Here," since he was the person ultimately responsible for the actions of the federal government. In the case of our fire district, the "buck stops" at Mr. Nocerino's desk. As chairman of the board of fire commissioners, he is ultimately responsible for the proper use of our tax dollars. If what Chief Raymond reports is true, that our district is tax poor, perhaps Mr. Nocerino and the board should be keeping a tighter rein on those expenses that are not essential to the basic functions of the department.

John J. Tarpey, Jr.