The Babylon Town Board appointed three Ethics Board Members: Anthony Tafuri, Errol Williams and Robert Kaufold. Here they are pictured with the Board. From left to right: Receiver of Taxes Corinne DiSomma, Town Clerk Carol Quirk, Councilwoman Jackie Gordon, Councilwoman Ellen McVeety, Judge Anthony Tafuri, Supervisor Steve Bellone, Errol Williams, Robert Kaufold, Councilman Lindsay and Henry, Councilman Tony Martinez Besides fiery blazes, local firefighters battle the high cost of living on Long Island, and balancing their jobs and their volunteer work. Some of those worries were extinguished recently the Town of Babylon offered its volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers were offered an option for an affordable health insurance plan through the Town.

Babylon is the first town on Long Island to offer emergency volunteers inclusion in their health insurance program. On July 21, Governor David Paterson signed a state bill into law, giving local municipalities that option, and the Town acted on it quickly.

"This is an opportunity to provide a real benefit to volunteers at no additional burden to tax payers; it's a win-win situation," said Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone, who voted—along with the rest of the board — to adopt this resolution at the meeting on September 10. This will affect hundreds of volunteers serving in fire departments Copiague, Deer Park, East Farmingdale, North Amityville, North Babylon, North Lindenhurst, West Babylon, Wyandanch and the Wyandanch/ Wheatley Heights Ambulance Corpora- tion. In addition, firefighters serving in departments in Amityville, Babylon and Lindenhurst Villages, are also eligible to opt into the program.

The health insurance plan— which will be paid for by individual firefighters, not at taxpayers' expense — will be the same Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance rates available to town employees.

President of the Town of Babylon Fire Chiefs' Association Anthony LaFerrera, who attended the board meeting said he was thrilled by the resolution, hoping to use it as a tool to retain and recruit members.

"It's hard to keep people here," said LaFerrera, a member of the North Babylon Fire Department since 1979. "Some people have to work two or three jobs to stay on Long Island. People leave the state to find lower taxes, a better cost of living and quality of life. It's hard to retain people."

Chief Vincenzo Vacchiano of West Babylon also worries about losing volunteers. His department welcomes 20 to 25 new trainees each year, but loses more than half, he said. "Some people leave for personal reasons, some lose interest and others didn't realize how much time they needed to give," said Vacchiano.

"We've had a few members lately who left (the department) to put in more hours at work and pick up part-time jobs to make ends meet," said Vacchiano. When volunteers drop, it puts strain on other volunteers, causing burnout particularly as the department faces an increase in calls due to a population spike as a result of new construction. He praises the Town board's recent decision.

"I think this will help some current members," said Vacchiano. "We have 10 to 15 members who do not have health insurance because they are either selfemployed or work construction jobs that do not offer them health insurance plans."

He added that he also appreciates other programs the Town and other government entities have implemented that also help retaining firefighters; they include property tax breaks, college tuition reimbursement, a pension program and free town passes to local beaches. He added, however, that most people don't join for those reasons.

Now that this law has been adopted by the Town Board, there are a few wrinkles to iron out before the health plan becomes effective (180 days from the governor's signing date in July.) At this point, the Town, fire departments and health insurance agencies have to work out the final details, said a spokesman for Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, a co sponsor of the bill.

In Other Town Board Business, the board:

• appointed three members to serve on the Board of Ethics. The Board of Ethics helps ensure full financial disclosure from Town employees and addresses concerns from officials and the public about potential abuses of power, vested interests, and ethical conflicts, said Town spokesperson Vanessa Baird-Streeter.

After the previous ethics board disbanded for personal reasons, the Town sought suitable replacements for about a year, said Baird-Streeter. The new members are Judge Anthony Tafuri, retired teacher Robert Kaufold and attorney Errol Williams.

Tafuri has practiced law in Lindenhurst for 37 years, serving as acting Village Judge, a District Court Judge and an acting County Court Judge. He also served on the Town Board for eight years and as the town attorney.

Robert Kaufold was a teacher and administrator on Long Island for more than 35 years. He also served on the Babylon Town Board from 1987 to 2000 and has been an instructor at the Suffolk County Fire Academy.

Errol Williams — an immigrant from Belize, Central America — opened a law practice in 1986. He moved his office from Brooklyn to North Amityville in 1998 where his family settled.

•granted a rezoning application to A. J. Pica, owners of property on the east side of First Street, 150-feet south of Lake Avenue, Deer Park. The owners want to build a house there and the approval comes with restrictions including that it be a single-family dwelling, be owner occupied and have no second-story decks. The garage cannot be converted to living space.

•authorized permission for a Bike-Walk-A-thon for Oct. 4. The event begins at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Baptist Church, Steele Place and Albany Avenue, Amityville and proceeds north on Albany Avenue to Great Neck Road. It then heads west to Booker Boulevard, ending at Holy Cathedral Church.

•determined that the following structures are unsafe and authorized that they be repaired or demolished, the cost of which will be applied to the owners' tax bills: 3 Jamaica Ave., Wyandanch, 54A W. 18 St.; 252 Carlls Path, Deer Park; 12 Chestnut St., and 82 Tyrconnell St.; Amityville and 255 Pacific St., Copiague.

The next regular Town Board meeting is Oct. 7, 3:30 p.m., Town Hall, 200 E. Sunrise Hwy., Lindenhurst.

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