By John Nugent
The Village of Floral Park Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved the purchase of a 1997 Duplex 93-foot Aerial Ladder Platform Fire Truck in the amount of $89,000.
The new apparatus will replace the 2004 Aerial Ladder Truck 123 that was destroyed in a four-alarm fire on April 17.
The fire, which involved more than 100 firefighters from 18 different Nassau County fire departments, caused major damage to a building at 266 Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park.
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald noted the importance of having this equipment not only to the Village of Floral Park but also to surrounding communities that “rely on us” for support in the event of a major fire emergency.
Five fire department personnel sustained minor injuries in the fire which took four hours to bring under control. Several nearby businesses also incurred smoke and water damage.
Trustee Frank Chiara called out News12 for what he said was an inaccurate report that there had been no fire inspections of the 266 Jericho Turnpike building since 2017.
Chiara said that fire inspections, which “are required by code every 3 years of this type of occupancy,” were conducted on that property in 2016 and every year from 2018-2022.
The fact that the village conducted these inspections was “inexplicably omitted from their story,” said Chiara.
The board also authorized the expenditure of $89,000 for a 2023 Chevy Tahoe for the police department.
In a separate financial matter, the board approved the Schedule of Accounts Payable totaling $3.75 million. Allocations for the General Fund, the Pool Fund and the Capital Fund are included in this figure.
Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo commended the Floral Park Police Department for their extraordinary efforts in managing the large volume of traffic that passed through the village during the recent Belmont Stakes at nearby Belmont Park Race Track.
Pombonyo added thanks to the FPPD for apprehending an individual who was reported breaking into vehicles that were parked in the village during the event. She urged residents to be alert, lock unattended vehicles and call 911 to report any suspicious activity.
