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Fire department warns of rising apparatus costs as residents question who should pay
Summary
Fire officials told the board that apparatus and equipment costs have risen sharply and proposed passing a roughly 10% increase to the town; residents and trustees pushed for developer or hospital contributions and asked for town-level discussions and grant-seeking.
The board opened a public hearing with representatives from the Bayshore Fire Department explaining why the department is seeking higher funding to cover equipment and apparatus costs.
Gary Lawrence, a commissioner for the fire department, said long lead times and steep price increases have driven costs up. "A 100 foot tower ladder truck that could have been purchased in 2018 for $1,000,000...Now it costs 2.25 to 2,500,000, and it's taking up to 4 years to build," he said, arguing those increases must be spread across the community. Residents and trustees pressed why Brightwaters should bear a townwide increase when much new residential development and related demand are in Bayshore; they asked whether builders or large institutions such as Northwell could help offset the cost.
Fire officials said they are exploring grant funding and conversations with Northwell and the town, and offered to participate in joint meetings with village leaders and town officials to seek solutions. The board did not adopt a final funding change at the meeting; the public hearing provided a forum for residents to question tax allocation and for fire officials to lay out cost drivers and next steps.
