The Nassau County DA's office is currently investigating the legality of several Syosset Volunteer Fire Department expenditures from January 1, 1996 to June 30, 1997, having been recommended to do so by the New York State comptroller's office, which recently conducted an audit of the fire district. In response, an attorney for the department declared that his client is being unfairly singled out for rather common fire district expenditures of taxpayer money.

A letter dated November 20 from Assistant Director of the Bureau of Municipal Affairs - Examinations Henry G. Hoffman, of Comptroller H. Carl McCall's office, advises District Attorney Denis Dillon's office to closely explore certain findings in the state financial report.

Of greatest suspecion, according to Jeffrey Gordon, spokesperson for the comptroller's office, is an extravagant and costly annual function thrown for fire department members and their families costing, in total, $73,600.

But attorney Raymond Lavallee, to whom Syosset Fire District Superintendent Robert Swanson referred comment, said that virtually every department holds such a function, as one of the few rewards offered to its volunteer members who bravely serve the community, risking life and limb.

"There was no misuse of any funds...We invite people that benefit the district, and their families. They're volunteering their services. Without [the party] what do you do for these volunteers?" "

Fire Commissioner Peter Morley, who was re-elected last week after running unopposed, agreed with that assessment. "It's the only [gift] that we [the board of commissioners] can legally give them."

However, reports from news sources including Newsday have indicated that spending may have been exorbitant on expenses such as entertainment, the likes of a magician and a palm reader.

Gordon emphasized the party as the focus of the suspicion. However, the letter sent to Dillon's office specifically mentions findings pertaining to "Conference Expenses." These might be referring to two out-of-town conferences costing $20,500, that department members attended during the period of time being probed. Recent news reports have also suggested that there were several dozen more misuses of funds worthy of investigation. The DA's office would not issue any comment whatsoever in regard to what it is or isn't investigating.

Nevertheless, according to news reports, the comptroller's office also questioned the expenditures of, among others, $821,290 on public works contracts of which there is no record of board of commissioners approval, $4,179 in salary overpayments and $192,000 on vehicles which are used more for competition than for actual firefighting.

Lavallee addressed several of these items. Conferences are often scheduled for department members to learn new life-saving techniques and become familiar with the latest in equipment. The salary overpayments, said the attorney, were entirely accidental and will be amended. He said that if the audit hadn't produced the discovery of the overpayments, the fire district's own accounting procedures would have; this, despite the fact that the expenditures in question took place more than a year ago.

Morley admitted that the vehicles, called C and B pumps, are scarcely used in fire fighting. He said that they are nonetheless an important resource to the district because it helps sustain membership. Firemen from various districts use them in head-to-head firefighting competitions at state-sanctioned skill drills, explained Morley.

The purpose of such competitions, said the commissioner, is to "raise the morale of younger members...It's great because it does get us what we are looking for - the retention of younger members." Furthermore, he added, "These vehicles are used in what we consider a great part of training."

"This is a way to entice people to come in and become firefighters," said Lavallee. Most volunteer departments do experience difficulty in recruiting and maintaining members.

Morley said that the vehicles have on occasion been used in real fire situations.

Lavalee also emphasized that Long Island fire districts such as Syosset are more likely to spend greater amounts on locally-purchased supplies than upstate districts because the cost of living here is significantly higher.

Morley and Lavalee indicated that it is not uncommon for fire departments to undergo financial scrutiny. Although they said that the Syosset Fire District, the largest in the county with the third largest budget, is spending at normal rates, they believe that this is just their turn to be singled out.