FLY CREEK - Fly Creek fire department chief George Chandler's return from vacation brought both answers and sparks to the Fly Creek fire district board of commissioner's meeting Feb. 9.

Chandler provided the board with much of the information they requested at previous meetings, but blasted commissioners during his chief's report for their "constant badgering and demanding attitude."

"The claims that we don't have any information that you need is a repeat of last year," Chandler said. "Your staff has the information you need, ask them for it. Playing the crowd and showboating for a little publicity does not serve this community. You claimed at the beginning of the year that you wanted to work with the department, but what you are doing is demanding instead of asking."

Chairman Richard Carr took issue with Chandler's use of the word "demand." He said the board never used the word and was requesting information only to meet insurance company requirements.

"It was all in the form of a formal request, not demanded," he said. "Demand is kind of an intimidating word."

"So is mandatory," Chandler replied.

Chandler provided the board with a list of active firefighters and addressed the other items the board requested in preparation for reviewing their insurance policies in March. He said the inventory is being worked on and that the equipment portion has been finished and only the inventory of turnout gear is more difficult to track down.

Chandler said drivers licenses were handled by him and sent directly from the chief to the insurance company. He asked the board to provide him with the insurance company's contact information so he could take care of that. Carr said the board still needed a copy of the information, to which Chandler did not respond.

He said maintenance records are already on file with the secretary and that commissioner Mark Weir has a copy of training records. The chief said he has no right to reveal the names of fire department members who have quit, but suggested the board me more concerned with those who are still with the department.

"Every member I have spoken to has communicated to me that they have developed an 'I don't care attitude,'" Chandler said. "'If the pager goes off and my walls aren't hot, why should I go?'"

He said the fire department currently has eight Class A firefighters: Jim, Matt, Brian and Julie Pernat, Dean and Yvonne Colby, Chris Chander and Henry Hight. In response to a question during the public comment portion of the meeting, Chandler said the department has a total of 31 members and estimated that 16 to 18 would return to active duty "if things were to calm down."

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Anne Carr asked Chandler what the firefighters expect or want from the community and the fire board.

Chandler said the department wouldn't ask for anything, but said they wanted "the respect we had a year ago" and for the noise to stop.

Carr said it was "time for everybody to just pick up their pants" and move forward.

Also during the public comment portion of the meeting, Portabello's owner Adam Kantor said the fire department's attitude was a problem and questioned why Chandler was still the chief if he was allowing this.

Chandler said his report didn't say he was happy with the attitude, just that it existed.

In other business:

• The board discussed contracting for fire protection if the Fly Creek fire department does not have enough members to provide adequate protection.

"It's expensive, but it is a safety concern," Carr said. He said contracting with Cooperstown and Schuyler Lake's fire departments would give Fly Creek time to regroup and build up the membership. He said the board's biggest concern is that someone in the department or community gets hurt because there aren't enough people responding to calls.

• Chandler addressed the issue of putting dry hydrants in Fly Creek. He said they looked at this issue in 1993 or 1994 and that it was determined that was not cost effective. Two locations where it would have been possible on Allison Road and Fork Shop would likely have been damaged by snow removal efforts from the town, he said.

The only other option would have been to tap private ponds, which would be expensive, as the fire district would have to pay all the costs associated with plumbing the pond.

"It's an extremely good idea and if there's some way to do it, I'll be over with a shovel helping you, but I don't know where we're going to do it," he said.

• Treasurer Betty Staffin reported after the meeting that the legal action by Chris Chandler seeking to have herself and Weir removed from office suffered a setback when attorney Brad Pinsky's motion for a referee was denied by a New York State Supreme Court. A referee would have reviewed the facts from both sides and determined which set of facts was accurate.

"It's dying a slow death," Staffin said.

• The board appointed Margaret Wolff as the fifth commissioner. Wolff said she volunteered for the post because she wanted to help resolve the difficulties which have plagued the district and department for the last year.

"This has to end," she said. "We need to get the situation resolved so we have an active fire department and an atmosphere where people can be friendly with each other and one where the people and the firemen are safe."