Larchmont firefighters angry over paid chief appt.
Larchmont volunteer firefighters are up in arms at the village board?s decision to appoint Richard Heine as a paid fire chief. The department is mostly volunteers, and firefighters feel they should be
News 12 Staff
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May 21, 2007, 10:09 PM
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Updated 6,192 days ago
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Larchmont volunteer firefighters are up in arms at the village board?s decision to appoint Richard Heine as a paid fire chief.
The department is mostly volunteers, and firefighters feel they should be managed by someone who is a volunteer as well. The decision is causing tension between the paid and volunteer members of the department.
Some firefighters have quit and others have filed a lawsuit. Lawyers representing the group of volunteers say the village board can?t appoint a chief they didn?t elect.
However, the village says law allows them to appoint a paid chief. Lawyers representing the volunteers say the village should save money and speed response times by combining the department with Mamaroneck's fire department.
A temporary injunction has been taken up in the matter, preventing the village from implementing its plan. A hearing will be held on May 30 at state Supreme Court in White Plains when a judge will decide if the village?s decision is legal.
