NORTH AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — A Long Island fire department’s contract has been terminated after repeated response time delays, accusations of sexual harassment and more.
Last week, Town of Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer said there were calls to the North Amityville Fire Department that took an abnormally long time to answer because the company has gotten rid of all its volunteers.
Schaffer noted that the dismissals caused one call of a woman having difficulty breathing to be responded to over an hour later.
“It’s outrageous,” he told WCBS 880. “People in North Amityville deserve quick service. They're paying taxes for it. It’s life or death.”
Schaffer took the unusual step to discontinue the service of the fire company and instead, surrounding departments will respond to calls.
Meanwhile, Schaffer also alleges the fire department has also been accused of financial mismanagement and sexual harassment.
“There are a number of former members rolling over in their graves right now seeing what’s happening here,” he said.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office would not confirm Schaffer’s claims, but the town supervisor told WCBS 880 that investigators have already been called to look into the fire department.
“We sent in a human resources specialist,” Schaffer said. “He came back to me, and he said in his 30 years of doing this, this is in the top five worst situations that he's ever experienced”
To reopen the service, Schaffer wants an independent receiver to be hired and correct all the problems uncovered by the human resources specialist.
The North Amityville Fire Department could not be reached for comment.
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