Upstate hunter spots Lakeland department SUV mile

[wqce207a]

Upstate hunter spots Lakeland department SUV miles from home

BY RICHARD WEIR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Monday, February 25th 2008, 4:00 AM

It's not uncommon to see official department SUVs driven by volunteer fire chiefs parked outside office buildings, shopping plazas and other everyday places.

After all, many of these chiefs, who often use the vehicles while off duty for personal uses, need to be able to rush to the scenes of fires and other emergencies.

But when Wayne Harper, a disabled Vietnam veteran from Schenectady in upstate New York, saw a white Chevrolet Tahoe with gold "Chief" and "Lakeland Fire Department" decals on it parked outside a wildlife preserve some 30 miles from Albany, he was a bit surprised.

His surprise, however, turned to annoyance when he learned that the chief's vehicle, which he snapped a picture of near the entrance to the Partridge Run State Wildlife Management Area - a popular hunting spot - belonged to a volunteer fire department in Ronkonkoma.

"It concerns me," said Harper, 60, who was hunting ruffed grouse at around 11:30 a.m. on a chilly Nov. 19 when he came across the vehicle. "That's a good ways from Long Island" - about 200 miles, to be exact, or at least a four-hour drive.

Michael Timo, the manager for the Lakeland Fire District, said the vehicle is assigned to one of the department's three assistant chiefs but he declined to identify the individual.

When told of Harper's encounter with the vehicle last fall, Timo said the district's board will look into it and interview the deputy chief once he returns from a trip out of state.

"The commissioners are reviewing the matter," he said.

But based on the board's two-line policy governing the use of department vehicles assigned to chiefs, it appears that the Tahoe's user did not break any rules by taking the vehicle from Suffolk County to the 4,594-acre preserve on the western edge of Albany County.

"Use of chief's vehicles will include travel throughout New York State. Travel outside New York State may be permitted by consent of a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners," the policy reads.

The policy does not distinguish between personal and official use of the vehicle, however.

Lakeland Fire Chief Gregory Pitka declined to discuss the use of the vehicle by his deputy, nor would he say whether he knew about it being taken to the upstate wildlife preserve. "You'll have to take that matter up with the board," he said in a brief phone interview last week.

[bloomtruck42]

whoops!

can't really jump on his back too bad if it didn't break any bylaws.

[Ex ChiefJoe]

My concerns on this issue are two fold...

Did the Lakeland Chief Actually bag any "Ruffled Grouse"

And if so what recipe did he use to prepare the afore mentioned Ruffled Grouse.....?

[scannerman]

I think the only "Grouse" he bagged was a Disabled Vietnam Vet.........and what the hell was his problem?

Does he object to the personal use that a Chief gets for donating his time??

I'll bet he returns his disability check to the government every month, huh?

[CFD208]

scannerman said:

I think the only "Grouse" he bagged was a Disabled Vietnam Vet.........and what the hell was his problem?

I'll bet he returns his disability check to the government every month, huh?

>:(Who the hell do you think you are to judge him, a disabled Veteran? His disability check comes at the price that he payed to fight for the freedoms that you apparently take for granted. He and many others like him didn't fight and die for you or anyone else to sit here and talk shit from behind the safety of our boarders. The same safety that he and the rest of the Armed Forces still to this day give to the American people. Thats right, the same Armed Forces that the liberal media constantly shits on, the same Armed Forces that would(and have) give(n) their lives to protect the American people. And for what? To be shit on? What they hell do they ask in return?
How about stepping up to the plate and doing what is necessary to protect our way of life, and our freedoms? Cause you know he did. Then, and only then will you have the right to talk. Until then, mind your place.

Oh yeah, there is one thing that we ask to hear in return...
Thank You, We Remember.

I guess thats too much to ask.

[QUINT14]

BOOT SCANNERMAN!!!!

[FDNYCFD138]

Im with CFD208 and Quint 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get rid of him!!!!!!

[EXCAPTMFDENG7INE221]

chiefjoe2 said:

My concerns on this issue are two fold...

Did the Lakeland Chief Actually bag any "Ruffled Grouse"

And if so what recipe did he use to prepare the afore mentioned Ruffled Grouse.....?

haha...good one Joe!

[chunkylover53]

No need to boot him. Y'all can "smite" him, and he will feel shame.

[wqce207a]

BUMP, Scannerman is a douche.

[scannerman]

I apologize to anyone I may have offended, and indeed I see that I drew a comparison to the fringe benfit of personal use of a chief's car to the man's disability check. THAT WAS WRONG, AND I DID NOT MEAN TO OFFEND ANY DISABLED VETS.

I did not intend, nor did I mean to judge him as a disabled vet. I was judging him as man who ratted out a volunteer like all of us, and he chose to inform the reporter he was a disabled vet, and that somehow gives him more creditablility to this subject. It does not. Why it bothered him that a man who serves his community was 200 miles away from his home is a mystery, and think that there is much more to this story. We may never know.

What I do know is that I did not convey my emotions well, and stirred the emotions of others. I do not take our freedoms for grated, and have fought for them as well. But that alone does not qualify my feeling towards someone who shits on a volunteer fireman. It is my 37 years of firefighting that fuels my annoyance for a ne'er-do-well attemting to burn a Vollie. I thought this was the place to do that.

Again, I apoloigize to those I have offended. Thank You, I Remember. I Never Forgot.



PS- Thanks, I'll douche myself.

[wqce207a]

bla bla bla, just another left winger with a deep hatred of the military and authority. This disturbing behavior is becoming more and more accepted by the day.

Let me guess, you support the troops but not the war. Well if you don't support their mission then how do you support the troops?

[chunkylover53]

scannerman said:

I apologize to anyone I may have offended, and indeed I see that I drew a comparison to the fringe benfit of personal use of a chief's car to the man's disability check. THAT WAS WRONG, AND I DID NOT MEAN TO OFFEND ANY DISABLED VETS.

I did not intend, nor did I mean to judge him as a disabled vet. I was judging him as man who ratted out a volunteer like all of us, and he chose to inform the reporter he was a disabled vet, and that somehow gives him more creditablility to this subject. It does not. Why it bothered him that a man who serves his community was 200 miles away from his home is a mystery, and think that there is much more to this story. We may never know.

What I do know is that I did not convey my emotions well, and stirred the emotions of others. I do not take our freedoms for grated, and have fought for them as well. But that alone does not qualify my feeling towards someone who shits on a volunteer fireman. It is my 37 years of firefighting that fuels my annoyance for a ne'er-do-well attemting to burn a Vollie. I thought this was the place to do that.

Again, I apoloigize to those I have offended. Thank You, I Remember. I Never Forgot.



PS- Thanks, I'll douche myself.

[xvolly]

wqce207a said:

bla bla bla, just another left winger with a deep hatred of the military and authority. This disturbing behavior is becoming more and more accepted by the day.

Let me guess, you support the troops but not the war. Well if you don't support their mission then how do you support the troops?

Where was there any mention of that in his apology? I agree that the original comment was un-called for but WTF? Is it that difficult to just accept an apology and call it a day?

[wqce207a]

xvolly said:

wqce207a said:

bla bla bla, just another left winger with a deep hatred of the military and authority. This disturbing behavior is becoming more and more accepted by the day.

Let me guess, you support the troops but not the war. Well if you don't support their mission then how do you support the troops?

Where was there any mention of that in his apology? I agree that the original comment was un-called for but WTF? Is it that difficult to just accept an apology and call it a day?

are you going to lose sleep over it? Is he/she/it your boyfriend?

[OnADeuce]

i go to college upstate and while driving back on I-81, just entering upstate NY from pennsylvania, I happened to pass 8-1-30, the Orient FD Chief...wonder what he was doing up here.

[fireguy810]

He was heading up to the NY State Fire Academy in Montour Falls. He's Authorized to take his chiefs car as it is Fire Dept training.

[OnADeuce]

Ah....well, I guess that explains it. thanks.