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Firefighters oppose Governor Cuomo's arbitration proposal
Print Story Published: 2/09 4:30 pm Share Updated: 2/09 4:31 pm

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Firefighters from five states are opposing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to limit binding arbitration in union disputes which local governments say their taxpayers can no longer afford.

Cuomo proposes to cap wage increases that arbitration panels could give unionized public workers at 2 percent if the municipality is deemed to be under "fiscal distress." Mayors support the measure, saying it's needed to avoid big raises that taxpayers can't afford in contract impasses........................>>>>................>>>>....................http://www.fox23news.com/news/.....UGGhLN5Q.cspx?rss=39

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Fire protection in New York State is complex, with
many options.  Fire protection may be provided
directly by a municipality, arranged under contract
with a municipality, or provided by an independently
governed fire district. Fire departments may have allpaid or “career” members, all-volunteer, or a
combination of paid employees and volunteer
members.  Firefighters may work for a municipal fire
department, be appointed as fire department
members by fire district commissioners, or be
members of a not-for-profit fire corporation.  
This brief provides an overview of the fire protection
options available in New York State, and answers
some common questions about fire protection.
How is fire protection provided in your
municipality?
Cities are required to provide fire protection.  It is typically provided through a municipal
fire department which may have paid and/or volunteer firefighters. According to the
Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY), 42 cities have all or mostly
paid fire departments, while 17 are all or mostly volunteer departments. Paid firefighters
are commonly known as “career” firefighters. According to a 2003 FASNY report, the
median wage, benefits and overtime payment for a full-time firefighter statewide
(excluding NYC) was $57,278.  Examples range from $49,764 in the North Country to
$101,702 on Long Island.
Villages must also provide fire protection. A village may (a) have its own fire
department, (b) contract with the fire department of another municipality, (c) contract
with a fire district, or (d) form a joint fire district with a town and other villages.  Where
villages have fire departments, they may also have career, volunteer, or a mix of both
types of firefighters.  While the reported numbers of combination fire departments vary,
most seem to be located in Monroe and Westchester Counties. In Monroe County,
which has 10 combination departments, nearly one third of those departments’
members are career firefighters.
State law does not allow towns to provide their residents with fire protection as a
municipal function.  Instead, fire protection is provided either by a fire district or through
creation of a fire protection district.  
There are about 1,850 fire suppression or prevention organizations and over 114,000
firefighters in the state, including over 96,000 volunteer firefighte

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What is a fire protection district?
Although the term “fire protection district” is similar to “fire district,” they represent very
different ways of managing fire protection.  While a fire district is a separate unit of
government, run by elected commissioners; a fire protection district is a geographic
service area within a town, established for the purpose of fire protection. Towns contract
for fire protection services within these districts at the expense of the property owners in
that district. The contract may be with a city or village fire department, a fire district, or
an independent fire company.  
A town board can create a fire protection district, consolidate adjoining fire protection
districts, alter the boundaries of a fire protection district, or dissolve a fire protection
district on its own motion or by petition. There are 951 fire protection districts in the
state, down from 1,015 in 1988.  
Contracts between a town and a fire protection district vary in detail; some simply name
a price for protection. The trend is for town boards to convert fire protection districts to
Fire District Commissioner
Total Votes  
(December 2006 – 44 Districts Reporting)
Number of Fire
Districts
Votes Cast
(Per District)
18  0 - 50
8  51 - 100
5  101 – 200
6  201 - 300
7  301 - 600 fire districts, placing the decisions regarding fire protection in the hands of  
independently elected fire commissioners.
What is an independent fire company?
An independent fire company is a special not-for-profit corporation formed to provide fire
protection to a fire district, fire protection district or village under contract.  The contract
is with the governing body – a board of fire commissioners, town board, or village board
of trustees.  There are 800 independent fire corporations.
How is fire protection financed?
In cities and villages, general municipal tax levies support fire protection. In areas of the
town served by fire protection districts, the town levies property tax.  
A fire district has the power both to incur indebtedness and to require the levy of taxes.
Fire district taxes are assessed against the taxable properties within the district and
levied and collected at the same time and in the same manner as town taxes.  Towns
collect fire district taxes and distribute them to fire districts. These funds may be used to
purchase buildings, equipment, and insurance, as well as pay for firefighter training.  
They may also pay for annual inspection dinners and refreshments served after
meetings and emergencies.  
Fire districts get over 90% of their revenue from property taxes. Total revenues raised
by fire districts have increased 61% from 1995 to 2005, with an average annual
increase of 4.9 percent, as reported in the Financial Report on Fire Districts.
In addition to funds raised through taxes, there are two other main sources of funding.  
The first is funds that are donated to a fire department, such as through coin drops or
other charitable fund-raising activities or paid in exchange for facility rentals or special
services.  The second source is a tax on certain fire insurance policies written by out-ofstate insurance companies.  Foreign insurance companies contribute two percent of the
fire premiums written on property located in the state to be distributed to the fire
departments and fire districts statewide. Fire insurance money - $43 million in 2007 -
must be used for the benefit of the fire department and its fire companies, as
determined by the members.  For example, fire insurance funds may be used to
purchase dress uniforms, turn out gear, and office equipment; and to pay for installation
banquets and holiday parties.  However, those funds may not be used to fund a length
of service award program, and members may not be compelled to use these monies to
defray ordinary operating expenses of the fire department. (A portion of the tax is also
used for the support and maintenance of the firemen's home at Hudson, New York.)  
Other sources of funding include federal assistance, state grants, county subsidies, and
tax-exempt bond

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Does the town board have approval over a fire district budget?
No.  Fire district budgets are determined by boards of commissioners, and inserted,
unchanged, into town budgets.  Fire districts prepare a proposed budget and discuss it
at a public hearing on the third Tuesday in October.  Notice requirements include
publishing notice of the hearing in the newspaper and posting notice on the town sign
board and district website, if one exists. The budget is submitted to the town on or
before November 20 each year.
Are there any limits on how much a fire district may spend?
Yes, under State law fire districts are subject to a spending limit. The spending limit is
$2,000 for the first $1 million of assessed valuation within the district, and $1,000 for
each additional $1 million of assessed valuation. Some expenditures excluded from the
cap, such as premiums required to cover firefighters injured in the line of duty; salaries
of paid firefighters who supplement volunteer forces; service award program
contributions; and most forms of debt service. The State Comptroller’s office is not
aware of any districts at or near their limit.

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Are concerns over the cost and provision of fire protection new?
No, the provision of fire service has been evolving for some time, and concerns about
the way it has historically been provided have been ongoing.  In 1984 the National Fire
Protection Association reported in the Fire Almanac that:
Fire District Expenditures
For Fiscal Year Ending 2006
Operations (salaries, benefits
and contractual expenditures)
$385.4 M
Equipment & Capital Outlays  $169.5 M
Debt Service – Principal  $ 34.4  M
Debt Service – Interest  $ 11.8  M
Total Expenditures  $601.1 M The fire service and the fire protection community in America have no choice but
to find more cost effective approaches to delivering fire safety to the public. In the
next twenty years, the fire service will be considering new, as well as time-proven
steps to achieve these cost effective goals.  There will be increased consolidation
of fire departments and similar functions within municipalities.  Functional
consolidation will be much more widespread and will include central purchasing,
central dispatching and alarm service, and the pooling of training, fire prevention
and emergency medical services (EMS). . . Better utilization of manpower,
increased productivity, a cost conscious citizenry, and management hardened
fire chiefs will be the watchwords of the next decade.  
Who checks on the fire districts to make sure their finances are in order?
An independent accountant must be hired to conduct an annual audit of revenues and
expenditures if the fire district, or volunteer fire company, has revenues of more than
$200,000. Fire companies with annual revenues of less than $200,000 are not required
to, but may obtain, an independent audit of revenues and expenditures. A model RFP
for the hiring of an auditor is available on the OSC website. The State Comptroller also
periodically audits fire districts.  Recent audits can be found on the Comptroller’s
website.
Fire districts must also submit annual financial reports to the Office of the State
Comptroller.  However, financial information relating to fire protection districts is
included in town report, as fire protection districts are administrative units of a town.

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Are there any limits on how much a fire district may spend?
Yes, under State law fire districts are subject to a spending limit. The spending limit is
$2,000 for the first $1 million of assessed valuation within the district, and $1,000 for
each additional $1 million of assessed valuation. Some expenditures excluded from the
cap, such as premiums required to cover firefighters injured in the line of duty; salaries
of paid firefighters who supplement volunteer forces; service award program
contributions; and most forms of debt service. The State Comptroller’s office is not
aware of any districts at or near their limit.