Riverhead first responders request fewer service years for tax break allowance

Riverhead first responders are asking the Riverhead Town Board to aid in membership retention by considering a possible reduction in the number of service years volunteers would need to qualify for a 10% property tax break.

Under the New York State Real Property Tax Law, the Riverhead Town code allows volunteer fire department members and ambulance workers who reside in the town and have served for at least five years to receive the tax exemption. Councilman Ken Rothwell, along with fire and ambulance officials, recommended lowering the threshold to two years at the Town Board’s Jan. 8 work session.

The choice to permit the tax break after a specific number of service years is a local option, which means individual counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and fire districts must adopt their own laws or resolutions in order to offer it. 

“The two years is where most of the firefighters and EMT personnel, I think, [are] our younger generation that’s coming in, and they’re the ones that are starting out, and just getting married and purchasing a house,” Mr. Rothwell said. “Why make them wait five years before they can get any type of benefit?” 

Riverhead Town attorney Erik Howard confirmed that changing from five to two years for the tax break would be a simple amendment to the current town code. A resolution will likely be passed at the Jan. 21 Town Board meeting to schedule a public hearing on the matter for the first meeting in February. 

The goal would be to adopt the amended local law before the March 1 deadline for volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel to submit the required 466-a form for the tax exemption, town assessor Laverne Tennenberg said at the work session. 

“Our guys have been working extremely hard this year,” said Chief Piotr Kurzyna of the Riverhead Fire Department. “The more guys we get, and we can give something back to them, we work a lot harder. I know expenses are going up, it’s a hard cost, but people are moving here, so if we can get people who are dedicated to helping others … it makes us better.”

Area fire departments received a record-breaking number of emergency calls in 2025. Riverhead Fire District commissioner Timothy Murphy said volunteers responded to several “newsworthy” blazes as well, such as the incidents at Wells Farm and Crown Recycling. However, those are just two blazes out of the 1,456 alarms, including 11 working fires, they responded to this year.

“The vast majority of our incidents you never heard about — that’s time that our firefighters take away from their families and their jobs,” Mr. Murphy said. “ Anything we can do to reduce the tax liability on them is a benefit to us.” 

The town code also grants a lifetime 10% exemption to volunteers with more than 20 years of active service, as long as their primary residence is located in Riverhead Town.

Gregory Meyers, chairman of the Wading River Fire District board of commissioners, felt the initiative to create more incentive for prospective volunteers is a great start, but “not enough.”

He said the responsibilities of a volunteer first responder go beyond the hours of training, classes and certifications to become proficient. Volunteers also need to participate in meetings and drills and are often called to duty in the middle of the night.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” Mr. Meyers said. “[It] takes time and money, effort and sacrifice … I think we can do so much more.”

At the request of Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin, fire and ambulance officials provided the following information as to where and how interested volunteers can apply to become members of their local departments:

• Riverhead Fire Department
  • Visit the department’s headquarters at 540 Roanoke Ave. in Riverhead to pick up an application or apply online at riverheadfire.org.
• Wading River Fire Department
  • The Wading River Fire District has been pushing for recruitment and is continuously accepting applications for membership. Those interested in joining can visit the district’s website at wadingriverfd.org to fill out an online application.
• Jamesport Fire Department
  • Applications can be submitted online at jamesportfd.org. Applicants can visit and tour the firehouse at 25 Manor Lane in Jamesport, meet other members and learn more about the open roles and time commitments.
• Manorville Fire Department
  • Anyone who wants to join the Manorville Fire Department can fill out an application at manorvillefd.org. Once submitted, applicants will be put in touch with the department’s membership committee. The department also has an application for youth ages 14 to 18 who are interested in joining its junior fire department program.