Taxpayers and residents of the Lakeville Estates Civic Association got a rare chance to say thank you on April 15, 2026, when the group formally recognized volunteer firefighters from three Nassau County departments at its spring membership meeting.
Certificates of appreciation went to members of the Manhasset-Lakeville, Garden City Park, and New Hyde Park Fire Departments. The honors weren’t handed out immediately after the storms. Bill Cutrone, the civic association’s president, wanted the firefighters standing in the room when they heard it. “We don’t realize that, while we were hunkering down, these gentlemen, and many more who are not here tonight, went out of their way to make sure that we were safe,” Cutrone said. “It’s important that we give you this recognition and thank you.”
Four members of the Manhasset-Lakeville department were called up. Eric Dobkin, Paul DePaulis, Brian Wood, and Michael Moroni each accepted a certificate. Dobkin holds the title of company president, and he didn’t let the moment pass quietly. He told the room that his department answered calls during the snowstorm even when firefighters were technically on standby. That’s the reality of volunteer service. No one’s off the clock when the storm hits. And he used the floor time to recruit. “We’re always here, and we’re always looking for more members,” he said.
Garden City Park Chief Michael McGillicuddy attended with Assistant Chief Vincent Bitsko. New Hyde Park Chief Joe Kotewski also came to accept recognition alongside Third Assistant Chief Gerard Efinger. All three departments’ representatives received certificates for their storm response work.
The honors wrapped up, and the meeting shifted to policing. Nassau County Police Inspectors joined the April 15 session alongside an officer from a Problem-Oriented Police Unit. Together, they addressed public-safety questions from 3rd Precinct residents, and the conversation moved quickly. Neighbors had been holding their concerns for a while. Parking. Tinted windows. Vape shops. Helicopter noise over the area. These aren’t glamorous policy debates, but they’re the ones that keep showing up at community meetings because they affect daily life.
Inspector Joseph Massaro ran through enforcement data and flagged a specific warning about scam tactics law enforcement has been encountering. His message: don’t engage. He also reported increases in parking and moving ticket issuance, but acknowledged that parking pressure on residents hasn’t eased. Massaro covered catalytic converter theft and gym thefts, giving residents specific steps to either protect themselves or report what they see. His framing throughout was deliberate. “We are the largest mom-and-pop department in the country,” Massaro said, explaining how he thinks about the relationship between officers and the people they serve.
Cutrone also raised concerns about Nassau County’s recent early retirement deals and what those buyouts might mean for police staffing levels going forward. Massaro pushed back. He said the buyouts applied only to high-ranking department personnel and that a new recruit class was already in the pipeline. Whether that reassurance satisfies residents watching the county’s budget decisions is a separate question. Nassau County’s early retirement arrangements carry real costs, and it’s worth asking how those figures break down for the 3rd Precinct specifically.
The Long Island Press covered the April 16 account of the evening’s proceedings. For context on Nassau County’s educational and departmental administrative structures, the Nassau County Department of Education maintains public records for residents tracking government operations.
One more item surfaced during the meeting. A speaker discussing civic involvement and public education made clear what brought him to the table. “It was civic, and an interest in educating the next generation of Americans that led me to support public education,” Sassouni said.
Volunteer fire service doesn’t show up on a property tax line the way a salaried department would. That’s the trade-off Long Island communities made decades ago. What it costs in coordination and recruitment, it saves in direct municipal expenditure. Dobkin’s pitch for new members wasn’t just community spirit. It’s fiscal reality. Departments like Manhasset-Lakeville, Garden City Park, and New Hyde Park can’t function without a steady pipeline of volunteers willing to run toward the storm while everyone else is hunkering down.