New Hyde Park Fire Commissioner Michael Dolan Sr. was jubilant after finding out that he will be reinstated after winning a lawsuit he brought against the New Hyde Park Board of Fire Commissioners in Nassau County Supreme Court. He and his son have been accused of improperly removing smoke detectors from the fire department headquarters.
“I won the case,” he said. “I beat them. They know they’re wrong and I’m back.”
But the judge didn’t say that Dolan and his son, Michael Dolan Jr., didn’t do anything wrong. The dismissal of Commissioner Dolan was overturned on a technicality.
Judge James McCormack’s ruled that the procedure was flawed when the fire commissioners brought misconduct charges against Dolan in a January. He also ruled the commissioners’ procedure was improper in dismissing Dolan from the department. Earlier the Nassau County District Attorney’s office dropped criminal charges against the Dolans.
Neither decision is even close to an endorsement of Dolan’s actions.
Commissioner Dolan’s explanation for taking 65 smoke detectors from the fire department and putting them in his home is laughable. He was afraid someone would steal them?
You don’t need a detector to see that Dolan is blowing smoke.
We don’t know why he took the detectors to his home and jeopardized his career. At best he showed very bad judgment.
But we think the elder Dolan should tone down the celebration given the fact that he will be reinstated based on a technicality.
It should be clear to Dolan that no one is saying that he did was right.
