My friend Peter Lazaro, Chief of the Bedford Fire Department of which I am a member, informed me of a change to New York law to permit members of fire departments to be nominated for the offices of chief and assistant chief, and to serve in those capacities regardless of their state of residency. The justification for the law, according to the State Assembly:
“Fire departments that cover areas around the borders of New York State sometimes have members that are not residents of New York State. Town Law already permits non-residents to be eligible for nomination to the offices of chief or assistant chief in fire departments that hold their annual meeting in April. This bill simply does the same for fire departments that hold their annual meeting in December.”
The bill was signed into law by Governor Cuomo last week and is now law. Now, pursuant to Section 176-11(b) of the Town Law, fire departments that hold meetings in December as well as in April may nominate and elect members as Chief and Assistant Chief who are not residents of New York State.
This change is particularly important to departments such as Bedford’s which border a neighboring state.
