If not now, when?
That’s the million dollar question all should be asking when the New Hyde Park Fire District and Department comes to mind.
As all are aware, after a jury trial, a legal determination was made that my father and brother were maliciously prosecuted by the New Hyde Park Fire District and certain department members – and that the district and those members abused their power.
Briefly, both men were wrongfully charged with stealing smoke detectors, which were donated to the district by the Nassau County Firefighters’ Museum through the efforts of Dolan Sr., which resulted in their wrongful arrest.
All criminal charges were subsequently dropped when it was learned that the Dolans’ returned the smoke detectors to the Firefighters’ Museum after they learned that the detectors had were being taken by others, with no explanation from the district or Department.
With the jury verdict, and Judge’s decision to uphold that verdict in the federal court trial, and the board’s ultimate settlement offer, which compensated for the full value of the claim against it with attorneys’ fees, dictates that they are the ones guilty of wrongdoing…in having conducted themselves in a manner unbecoming of both a firefighter and an elected official.
Their behavior and lack of civility is disgusting and absolutely disturbing.
These are people we entrusted out Fire District to and they violated the civil rights of two well-respected individuals while trashing their reputations, all for political gain.
In total, four commissioners who are department members – former Richard Stein; John DiVello; John Brown; and current board member Michael Bonura – have brought disgrace upon the NHP Fire District and Department and the uniforms they wear.
Each will always have a spotted record.
Besides a proven sorted history of improper actions and having let down their fellow members and the public they were sworn to serve, the legacy of these men will be marred mainly by the monumental mistake of falsely filing a criminal complaint of theft, which would have warranted a felony arrest all because they were hoping for a prison term, against a sitting commissioner and former chief and his fellow firefighter son – both of whom are highly-decorated and honorable military war veterans as well.
Even small time politicians in your local fire district will resort to the dirtiest of politics to get what they want: absolute control and unchecked power over the purse strings of the Fire District. These men have no shame.
Any military personnel, veteran, wounded war hero and true supporter, would be aghast to learn at how the NHPFD treats this combat wounded war veteran – a Purple Heart recipient, including his Marine son who survived two tours – only to come home and deal with foes here at the firehouse.
It would be interesting to see how all Long Island firefighters and EMS, including the fraternal groups and organizations, would react to hearing of the NHPFD’s malicious and petty behavior in this matter.
Still, the Dolans’ soldiered on and eventually earned a tremendous victory, clearing their names. Imagine the horror of being wrongfully paraded on television and in the newspapers as being thieves who violated the trust of the citizens of New Hyde Park after years of faithful service to the community.
How would you respond?
You would fight and fight hard to restore your reputation and family name.
The Dolans spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees and countless hours of their lives to clear the fog from their family name.
The financial and emotional toll was great, but they were vindicated in every court following six long years of litigation and failed efforts by fire district and fire department officials.
Six long years of criminal proceedings; a departmental hearing; state and federal civil actions, which included a jury trial; post-trial motions; even three appeals filed by defendants, all against a special district with almost limitless resources.
In this case, the truth prevailed and justice was served, including a judgment and a full verdict settlement of $900,000 including attorney’s fees from the fire district and Department.
Board Chairman, Commissioner Stephen Derenze, the one and only supporter for the defense present during last year’s trial, alarmingly appointed district chairman this year, in his official role signed the settlement agreement along with the department chief and named defendants. Karma at its best.
As chairman, he is well aware of sitting Commissioner Michael Bonura’s malicious and petty misconduct, the words used by the judge to describe Bonura’s action, yet Commissioner Bonura continues to serve on the board despite his absolute lack of integrity.
Chairman Derenze should call on Commissioner Bonura to resign and step aside, effective immediately, from his post – or be forcefully removed by order of the appropriate state authorities or by judicial intervention pursuant to Article 36 of the NYS Public Officers Law — which states fire district commissioners can be removed by the Supreme Court for any misconduct, maladministration, malfeasance or malversation in office after a request by a district resident.
If the actions of Commissioner Bonura do not rise to the level to warrant dismissal from his post, then what actions would? If not now, when?
Enough is enough with dirty politicians that do what they want, when they want and receive no repercussions for their actions.
Commissioner Bonura and the other existing guilty defendants, John Divello and John Brown – should also resign or be removed from the department as well, for actions unbecoming of a firefighter.
Why do we stand for a lack of integrity and professionalism? Why do we allow these little fiefdoms to exist in Nassau County?
To think that a dispute over $10 smoke detectors cost the fire district taxpayers over $1 million in settlement and attorney’s fees to resolve is mind-blowing.
These matters all come under the supervision of the District Counsel, Mr. Joseph Frank, Esq. Based upon his experience with the fire district and the law, he should have been more familiar with the fire district’s procedures and concerns.
Given the track record of the last six years with Mr. Frank as counsel, it is my humble opinion that Mr. Frank should also be removed from his position as the Fire District’s counsel. A review of Mr. Frank’s retention should be undertaken by the board immediately.
The public does want change and, in fact, started the process with the election loss of former Commissioner John Waldron, also a defendant in the Dolans’ federal case whom was deemed legally responsible, since the board relied upon John Waldron’s deciding vote to expel Dolan Sr. from the fire department.
Former Commissioner Waldron, in effect, had the NHPFD face a major, and very public, issue – being embroiled in a federal lawsuit – where named defendants included: current and former chiefs and commissioners, including district staff members–for what a judge called: “malicious and petty” actions of the district and department.
With his five-year tenure now over, and a loss re-election bid in December, the board is now free of yet another named defendant and negative influence.
Waldron no longer has the position, the authority, and the opportunity to manipulate a self-serving leadership agenda. The public has spoken and his tenure as one of Bonura’s crew is over.
Although I often speak about integrity and transparency, I am always surprised at the members of the NHPFD that just don’t get it.
They still think the rules do not apply to them. Demanding that people within this firehouse act with complete professionalism and respect for fellow members and for constituents is not up for discussion.
It has taken litigation to bring about any hope for positive change and meaningful reform so desperately needed within this scandal-riddled fire district and fire department.
The time has come for the removal of those who have been attempted to create their own fiefdom- and to restore the trust of the public.
Aside from the removal of Commissioner Bonura and the others I have discussed, this Board must immediately adopt an online repository for meeting minutes, simply placed onto the www.nhpfd.com site, in response to the public’s formal petition, with 512 signatures, previously submitted six years ago!
We need real transparency.
As it is, the district residents have become victim, too, of the board’s malicious and petty behavior. They deserve far better than this.
Given their actions, live streaming of the Board’s meeting should also be provided by the fire district.
When we have no transparency, we have no representative democracy. If we cannot see what the Board is doing, how can we trust that they are acting appropriately, especially in light of their actions over the last six years?
What the federal trial has taught us is to continue to keep a watchful eye on the operations of the fire district board and fire department to keep them honest.
Ultimately, long after this board and its entire District staff are gone, we should be able to rest easy in the knowledge that better days will soon arrive for current and future generations of the NHPFD.
What took place with the Dolans and board meeting minutes should never happen again. We need to keep a watchful eye and, as a public, hold the feet of our elected officials to the fire when they commit wrongs to individuals and the general public.
I hope you will help keep them honest and continue the push to remove the bad firefighters on the fire district board and in the fire department. If not now, when?
Deirdre Dolan
New Hyde Park
