By:JOSEPH KELLARD
McCarty, who ran on a promise to bring more open government to the board and to reopen the district-s main training facility, acknowledged his opponent and alluded to his impact as commissioner. I wish Dennis well, McCarty said. He put in five years committed to the district and the community, and I-m looking forward to my five years. Hopefully I can make a difference also.
McGlynn-s campaign theme was the cohesiveness he said had formed among the four other commissioners and him during his term, and he pointed to the many upgrades the department made during that time.
McCarty joins Paul Napoli as the second representative of the five-member board from Salamander Hook, Ladder and Bucket Co. No. 1. McCarty began his career in the fire department with Salamander in 1977, and served as the company-s captain before advancing to chief of the OFD in 1998.
During his campaign for commissioner, McCarty said the commissioners discussed many items at weekly behind-closed-doors workshops that never came out at the board-s public meetings. McGlynn denied this claim, countering that during his term as chairman in 2003, the board was more open to firemen and the public and had greater communications with them then ever before.
I definitely want to maintain the open approach to government, McCarty said after the election. This way everyone sees exactly what-s going on and nothing is shadowed.
McCarty said that, as commissioner, he would work to reopen the training facility at Fireman-s Memorial Field on Mott Street for fire drills and scenarios. A cement-block building was closed there after an inspector found structural problems and advised terminating further activity. The cost to fix the building has been estimated at $150,000, and the cost of building a new structure is $350,000, but the board said it was without the necessary funds in its budget to do either this year.
Before the election, McCarty described the training of firefighters as being of the utmost importance and stressed that no price could be put on it. He charged that the board put the issue on the back burner, which McGlynn denied, since there was simply no money in this year-s budget to address it.
I definitely want to bring the training facility back into sync, McCarty said, because having well-trained personnel only enhances their productivity back out on the fire ground in the community of Oceanside. It-s something I-m definitely going to look into as soon as possible.
McGlynn asserted in his campaign that McCarty-s election would be detrimental to the cohesiveness the board had formed during his term, and he highlighted important upgrades the department made during that time, from the radio communication system to a key-swipe system at each firehouse to the purchase of new vehicles, including ambulances, foam trucks and fire engines.
I am honored and proud of my accomplishments during my tenure over the last five years as commissioner, and last year as chairman of the board, said McGlynn, who hails from the Terrace Hose & Chemical Company.
Asked about his future, McGlynn said, Although my active duty as commissioner is done, I will remain active in what I consider the best fire department in New York state. I am, and will always be, dedicated to fire service.
By a 261-to-55 vote, residents passed a referendum on the ballot that called for lowering the minimum age at which firefighters can start receiving retirement benefits from the OFD, from 62 to 60. The maximum benefit is $600 a month, which can be collected for a maximum of 30 years, and annual funding for the benefit will increase by $125,000, from $261,000 this year to $386,000 in 2005.
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