The New Hyde Park Fire District has started to think about purchasing new equipment for their class ‘B’ firefighters during their bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday night.
The New Hyde Park Fire District and many other departments divide their equipment by three classifications.
“Class ‘A’ is for interior firefighters, class ‘B’ is for exterior firefighters and class ‘C’ is for those with administrative duties,” explained Chief .
The district will discuss purchasing this new equipment in greater detail at the next meeting. Their old but still functioning equipment will be donated to the Sparrowbush Engine Company located in Orange County.
The New Hyde Park and Sparrowbrush fire departments have struck up a relationship through Commissioner John DiVello and New Hyde Park has donated various types of gear to them in the past.
“[Sparrowbush] has a very limited yearly budget,” Willers stated, “and buying $2,500 class ‘A’ gear burns it considerably.”
In addition to purchasing the new gear, the commissioners may need to buy some new radios and tools after a few were lost in the . While some may have been abandoned in the flames, others may simply have been temporarily misplaced through a changing of hands. While on the subject, the chiefs took the opportunity to thank the commissioners for their “support and well wishes” given in the aftermath of the blazes.
“It goes without saying,” said Chairman Richard Stein.
Other related details are under internal review and more information will be given at a later date.
As the weeks pass, the annual installation dinner for new fire department officers is coming together piece by piece. A photographer has been selected and although ideas for officer gifts have been well deliberated on, the commissioners and chiefs have finally settled on embroidered blankets.
In other fire business, the board passed a motion to request that the east side of South 5th Street near be made into a no-parking zone. This comes as a result of the difficulty the parked cars bring to the mobility of the engines turning out of the nearby firehouse.
“I think [the no-parking zone] will inconvenience the people who live there and park for church,” said Commissioner John Brown.
Commissioner disagreed. “If we can’t get the rig out, it will be an even bigger issue.”
