correction of misinformation being spread by parker's campaign

8/3/2019 Correction of Misinformation Being Spread by Parker's Campaign

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Let’s deal with some of the misinformation being spread about town by Friends of Jay Parker....

“Poor training”

Training is the responsibility of the Chiefs, not the commissioners. The Board approves the

payment for training. In fact this past July a record number of CSH volunteer firemen were sentto Baltimore for a week of training; classes, meals, lodging and transportation paid for by thedistrict. If the training is still poor, then it is the selection of the courses made by the Chief. It

certainly is not the result of the Board’s decisions.

“Poor response time”

Response time of volunteers is the responsibility of the Chiefs, too. If members are not showingup for calls, then maybe we need to rethink adding more paid coverage. In 2007 the Board

analyzed the call volume and found our heaviest “traffic” of emergencies is between 7 a.m. and 7p.m., and because many volunteers hold regular daytime jobs, we had few volunteers available

during the day. The Board decided to hire a fulltime EMT for the district in order to havesomeone readily available to respond to our residents’ daytime calls. This has worked well

except when there are scheduling conflicts with a volunteer taking the “80” emergency responsevehicle and thus depriving the EMT of its use.

If there is poor training and poor response time, then the Chiefs are at fault – not the

commissioners. All the volunteers report to the Chiefs.

“ Antiquated fire equipment ”

The only antiquated equipment in the firehouse belongs to the volunteers, not the fire district.Here’s the delivery of our ladder truck

http://firematic.com/trucks new/cold_spring_harbor/index.htm

And here are photos of some of the fleet: 2 Ambulances, 1 Pierce 105’ Ladder truck, 1 PierceEngine, 1 Pierce Rescue Pumper, 1 Brush truck, 1 Water Rescue truck, and other smaller

vehicles. www.unyquefiretrucks.com/Cold_Spring_Harbor.html

We are amply equipped and have neighbors who have theirs readily available to us as well.

“ Dilapidated firehouse”

The exterior of the firehouse was just rejuvenated, The interior renovation plans were done butput on hold while all the exterior work was fully completed and inspected. Money has alreadybeen set aside in reserve to do the interior.



“ District Secretary works from Florida”

Six years ago when Jay Parker was the Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, he and theother commissioners approved the remote working of the part-time District Secretary for 2.5months in winter from Florida. This has worked smoothly for the past six years because of

today’s technology. This past winter we used a Skype connection so she could even see usinstead of just being on the phone during the meetings. She can even print us out any reports and

documents in the district office from her computer in Florida during these meetings.

She had worked for the district since 1987 before taking semi-retirement to a part-time positionsix years ago, but continues to be available at any hour for district needs. If she is not in the

district office, then she is available at her CSH home just up the road on Grove Street and isreadily available by email and phone at all hours. She has attended board meetings that have run

into the wee hours of the morning and stayed to get payments out after the commissioners haveapproved them. When she has been sick she has worked remotely from home. The Tuesday

before Thanksgiving she had a knee replacement and was home and reviewing district work

needs on Friday after Thanksgiving. Her dedication to her job is commendable. She will be inthe district office this coming week, three weeks after surgery.

“Office hours by appointment ”

With limited staffing, and the District Secretary’s knee operation, it was just decided that, while

she was out on medical leave, office hours would be by appointment as there is no employeewith the proper clearance for official district business such as the District Secretary to handleconfidential matters. The past two weeks the District Secretary has handled all matters from her

home with no hitches. Other small fire districts also have limited office hours without anyproblems. It is extravagant to hire additional employees to just have an office open from 9 to 5,

especially when we have dispatchers who can provide any necessary forms or receive paperwork for the District Secretary. Once the District Secretary is cleared by her doctor, then a discussion

can ensue as to what regular office hours can be scheduled.

“ Board’s inaction in regard to the radio system”

A quick review of minutes from June 2011 can provide insight into who is causing inaction on

the Board when one looks at the resistance of certain commissioners to approve the immediategrounding of the high school antenna system. Incredibly, Jay Parker was even at this meeting

and supported Chair Nielsen in pushing for emergency repairwork – work needed to be done tothe installation he oversaw six years ago.....

Minutes June 8, 2011:

The Chair [Nielsen] then directed attention to a draft resolution and read aloud: WHEREAS, for theprotection of residents, other persons and property located within the Cold Spring Harbor Fire District, it isimperative that the emergency communications system of the District be optimized; WHEREAS, infurtherance of such goal, the District’s current technology vendor Hello Alert did a physical assessment ofexisting radio transmission equipment and found some critical and immediate infrastructure issues that



need to be addressed; WHEREAS, the Board of Fire Commissioners deems such issues in need ofemergency redress; BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Fire Commissioners hereby approves theexpenditure of up to $25,000 to rectify and upgrade existing cabling and antenna issues per the planproposed by Hello Alert. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hello Alert commence this work as soon aspossible.

The Chair summarized the Hello Alert report which was to improve cabling, replace the antenna and newgrounding. The cabling is incorrect size and is bent. The antenna was improperly mounted and couldblow off in high winds. Comm’r Hafner argued that the antenna is still there and hasn’t blown down. TheChair advised that we have been experiencing very high winds of late and this needs to be done.Comm’r Hafner again stated that the antenna is still there. The Chair described how the cabling goesthrough the backstage of the auditorium where drama props are stored on it and it is kinked anddangerous. Comm’r Hafner opined that this is not an emergency situation as described in the Chair’semail. Comm’r Hafner said this has existed for awhile now and is not an emergency. The Chair advisedthat a faulty ground which could cause a fire in a high school is an emergency in her opinion. The Chairasked Comm’r Hafner if he wants to jeopardize the lives of children in the high school. Comm’r Hafnermaintained that it is not an emergency and asked to move on. The Chair advised Comm’r Hafner that heis not the chair and that the critical issues at the high school and improvements to the radios wouldcontinue to be addressed. The Chair asked a member of the public to address the chair if he wishes tospeak. Comm’r Hafner told the person “you can talk to me”, and the Chair told Comm’r Hafner he wouldbe out of order. Comm’r Hafner said so he would be out of order. Discussion ensued about the scope ofthe work to be done at the high school and the estimated costs involved. Comm’r O’Brien complimentedChair Nielsen on the Motorola contract refund. The Chair asked for a motion to expend up to $25K torepair and improve the radio installation at the high school; Comm’r Giarraputo so moved; the Chairasked for a second; Comm’r Hafner said he wanted to discuss; the Chair advised Comm’r Hafner thatdiscussion comes after a second on the motion; the Chair again asked for a second, and then made thesecond herself. Comm’r Hafner asked if this was something that had to be bid. Discussion ensued overwhether it was a repair or a capital improvement. Comm’r Hafner asked the District Treasurer how youdecide if it is a capital improvement or not. These are not items being purchased off a state contract.Chair Nielsen said there was only one quote on the grounding so far and asked if the DM had gotten twoother quotes yet. Discussion about getting quotes and bids ensued. The Chair asked the board to setaside all the quotes and bids discussion and approve up to $25k to fix the radio issues, and the bids andquotes can follow. The District Treasurer said there would need to be a resolution and publication if the

money was to be expended from the reserve fund because it was not budgeted. The Chair said themoney from the Telecom [Motorola] voided contract could be used. The Chair asked again that anamount be approved. The Chair read the resolution aloud again. Comm’r Hafner asked if this needs tobe bid. The District Treasurer advised that if there is $25k still within the publication for the Telecom[Motorola] amount, then there is no need for further publication. Comm’r Hafner asked the resolution beamended to say subject to review and approval by counsel. The Chair advised that if it is an emergency,then bidding is not required. Comm’r Hafner said again it is not an emergency. Jay Parker, an attendingmember of the public asked to go on the record and say that it is an emergency as there are no radiocommunications on Route 108 and it is dangerous if there is an accident there. The Chair stated that theamount should be approved and how the items are purchased can be in accordance with how counselrecommends. Comm’r O’Brien asked the DM Mercadante what he thought about the project. DMresponded that he has installed a lot of antennas and deals a lot with HelloAlert, they have a goodreputation and this is a lot of work to be done and needs to be rectified in a timely fashion, the items are

expensive and we need the improvements for radio coverage, and in his opinion it is definitely necessary.District Treasurer advised that this amount is under the limit for bidding. The Chair called the vote: all infavor.

“The chairperson allowed a crony to remain on the Board ”

Jack Palatella was a 23 year resident of Cold Spring Harbor and not a member of the fire

department [although his father-in-law is the member with the longest tenure of over 70 years].Jack sold his home of 23 years far quicker than he expected and moved temporarily out of the



district. A temporary residence outside the district is permitted under the law so long as he wasintent on returning. [Meanwhile there have been two firemen elected as commissioners who did

not even live in the district at the time of their election or during their five year term.]

No one commissioner, not even the Chair, has the power to allow or disallow a commissioner to

remain on the Board. Every board action requires a vote of three commissioners, so how couldthe chair have “allowed” someone to remain is impossible. Wild statements, such as these thathave been made, make one wonder how they could make rational decisions once in office.

If any resident (or resident fireman) felt that Jack was no longer entitled to be a fire

commissioner, then they could have sought court action to have him removed. In fact, the CSHfire department hired a lawyer in Huntington to investigate doing that, yet no papers were ever

filed because they had no case.

It is indeed time for more changes, but not a change of the incumbent, Commissioner Nielsen.

The change that is needed is to stick to the facts..

The facts show that Commissioner Nielsen has worked very hard for the firemen and the

residents.

correction of misinformation being spread by parker's campaign

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