Fire chief's view of Fireman's Field issue

Let me give the residents of Rockville Centre a brief history on Fireman’s Field. In 1935, the Village of Rockville Centre set aside and dedicated a section of land on the south side of its sewer treatment facility to the Rockville Centre Fire Department after that parcel of land was donated by the Allen family to the Rockville Centre Fire Department for the purpose of a training facility and picnic area. The land that now houses the South Side High School grounds was sold by the Village to the School District on April 23, 1952, and the school was built as a three-year institution soon thereafter.

In the 1980s, the school moved the ninth grade into the building, after closing down Morris School, making it a four-year institution and requiring additional staff and the necessary additional parking for them. But I guess the school district did not take that into account, and they flirted with closing Watson School last year? Where were they going to put that staff and parking?

Throughout the past 55 years, the Rockville Centre Fire Department has been extremely courteous in allowing teachers, administrators, staff, students and visitors to park in the parking field without any incidents. Furthermore, back in the 1980s, the Fire Department gave permission to the school district to relocate a portion of the fence, to use a section of 150’ x 30’ for the smoking commons, an area that is no longer used for smoking, just to the right of the entrance when entering Fireman’s Field from the school grounds. The fence was not returned to its original layout even after several requests by the Fire Council. The Fire Department has never had any issue with the parking in the parking field itself. Our concerns are for the areas surrounding the parking field. We have tried to prevent the deterioration of the grounds and vandalism to the property and fences throughout the years. We all know the history of the school district, they ask for an inch and take a yard and a half.