By Paul J. Condra
The decision made at the fire council meeting at the East Rockaway Fire Department on Atlantic Avenue brings partial closure to a controversial issue that has been going on for months, and began when a letter written by volunteer firefighter Pete Dixon was published in the Sept. 20 issue of the Herald.
In the letter, Dixon lamented the wearing of Fire Department uniforms by two village trustees who had never been firefighters at a parade in Hicksville earlier in the month. Although Dixon was not at the parade, he said the issue was brought to his attention by an honorary chief of the ERFD who said he refused to march in the parade next to the faux-firefighters.
While these trustees have served the village in a political capacity, they have not suffered the severe injuries or even given up their life in the line of duty, Dixon wrote. We have earned the right to proudly wear the uniform ... and to unilaterally give that right to others who have not put themselves in harm's way is morally wrong and personally unacceptable.
It was the beginning of a feud that would continue for two months, ultimately leading to Dixon's suspension.
On Oct. 18, the Herald published a response to Dixon's letter written by James Carrigan, the chief of the ERFD. Carrigan said he was dismayed by Dixon's letter, and defended what he called a lawful and traditional decision by the ERFD administration to issue uniforms to elected public officials.
What is really disturbing is that at this time of national crisis ... someone could be concerned about something so inconsequential as uniforms, Carrigan wrote.
(Dixon wrote the original letter on Sept. 6, before the tragedy that would occur five days later. Still, he said the events of Sept. 11 didn't change his opinion about the issue and he still stands by what he wrote.)
But the letter-writing did not end there.
Dixon again wrote a letter, which was published in the Herald on Nov. 1, this time responding to Carrigan. In it, Dixon said the thanks and recognition he received after Sept. 11 from random people on the streets had to do with one thing: uniforms.
That uniform tells everyone who we are and more importantly what we do. I have and will continue to proudly wear ... uniforms and will speak out against anyone who attempts to denigrate those uniforms, he wrote.
Weeks later, on Nov. 15, another letter appeared in the Herald, this time written by Dixon's wife, Patricia. In it, she both defended her husband's complaint and brought to light a new development which would explain why Dixon himself wasn't writing this time; he had been suspended from the ERFD and brought up on departmental charges.
Dixon said he had received a letter on Nov. 4 which barred him from returning to the ERFD, and revoked his uniform and badge. The ERFD had charged Dixon with violating a chief's order, which prevents firefighters from speaking to the media about some issues concerning the fire department. The suspension was to be in effect until the fire council meeting on Nov. 20, when the issue would be discussed in a private session.
At that meeting, many volunteers of the fire department and Dixon's family and friends showed up to see what would happen. Firefighters arrived at around 8 p.m., having just returned from putting out a house fire. They filled the tiny meeting room at the Atlantic Avenue station and waited, until after 9 p.m., when Dixon's friend William Shore, an ex-firefighter and lawyer informally defending Dixon, emerged from Carrigan's office with a grin. After an hour of talks, they had reached an agreement, dropping the charges against Dixon and deciding to examine the uniform issue at a later date.
Chief Carrigan did not comment about the decision beyond saying that the department is happy with it.
Dixon said he didn't receive an apology, but a promise the issue of the uniforms would be dealt with later, which was, and still is, his main concern.
He said nobody is really sure whether the ERFD made a lawful decision in giving uniforms to the trustees. Though it is lawful for elected officials to be appointed fire commissioner and issued a uniform, it is not common practice to wear them.
It's understood you're either a firefighter or you're not, Shore said, pointing out that New York City Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen was at one time a firefighter but as commissioner he won't wear the uniform.
Still, Dixon said at least one of the village trustees expressed regret over having worn the uniform, saying he'll never wear it again.
