Organizational and Monthly Meetings of the Board of Fire Commissioners

• Author: Raymond S. DiRaddo
• Pages: 101-130

Chapter 2

Organizational and Monthly

Meetings of the Board of Fire

Commissioners

§2:10 New York Fire District Officers’ Guide 2-2

§2:10 THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

§2:10.1 DATE

EveryFireDistrictinNewYorkStatemustholdanorganizationalmeetingduringthef‌irstf‌ifteendaysof

January in each year. Town Law §174 (2). This meeting is absolutely necessary in order to make the required

appointments and designations.

§2:10.2 DATE CHOSEN

TheorganizationalmeetingdateshouldbedesignatedbytheBoardofFireCommissionersbythesecond

weekinDecembersothatthemediacanbetimelyinformed,allinaccordwiththeOpenMeetingsLaw.Public

Off‌icersLaw§94.

TheSecretaryshouldnotifythemediaofthedate,timeandplaceoftheorganizationalmeetingnolater

thanDecember15th.Suchnotif‌icationshouldbemadebycertif‌iedmail,returnreceiptrequested,sothatthe

recordsoftheDistrictcansubstantiatethefactthatsuchnotif‌icationwasgiven.(SeeForm2-1)

Notif‌icationoftheorganizationalmeetingshouldbepostedonthepublicbulletinboardoftheFireDistrict

or in a public place. Town Law §175 (2).

TheSecretaryshouldalsodulynotifythenewlyelectedmemberormembersoftheBoard,aswellasthe

newlyelectedTreasurer,ifonewaselectedattheDecemberelection,ofthedate,timeandplaceoftheorgani-

zational meeting.

§2:10.3 PRESIDING OFFICER

SincethepositionofchairmanoftheBoardofFireCommissionersexpiresonDecember31st,thereisno

one to act as chairman to open the organizational meeting. The treasurer shall preside at such meeting until a

chairmanhasbeenelected.Inthecaseofaf‌iredistrictwherethepositionoftreasurerisappointive,thecom-

missionersdesignateoneofthemselvestoactastemporarychairmanuntilsuchtimeasthechairmanofthe

board is chosen.

§2:10.4 OATH

Afterthemeetinghasbeenopened,thenewly-electedmemberormembersoftheboardandthenewly-

electedtreasurer,ifthereisone,shouldbeswornin,usuallybytheattorneyforthef‌iredistrict.(SeeForm1-1

& Form 1-2)

§2:20 APPOINTMENT OF FIRE DISTRICT OFFICERS

§2:20.1 CHAIRMAN

TheBoardofFireCommissionersshouldnowelectthechairmanoftheboardwhowillactinsuchcapacity

forthebalanceoftheyear.If,duringtheyear,thechairmanisnotpresentatanyparticularmeeting,theother

membersmaydesignateoneofthemembersoftheboardtoactastemporarychairman.Thechairmanshould,

ashisf‌irstitemofbusiness,placeintheminutesoftheorganizationalmeetingthenotif‌icationofthemeeting

senttothemedia,togetherwiththereturnreceiptsfromthemedia.