FOIL

[ex-commish 490]

Fire districts are public entities that are subjected to FOIL. What about fire companies within a fire district that allthough are private accept donations that come from the public? Do they not operate under fire district guidelines? Don't people have the right to know how money that they donate is being spent?

[RWC130 594]

About FOIL

The Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”) provides access to records to citizens interested in obtaining records related to government operations. Records include documents, tapes and computer discs. Access to records is limited by certain exemptions including those that intend to protect privacy, the names of confidential informants and those where the production of records would impair, interfere with, cause substantial injury or endanger an individual or government operation.

If the Office of the Attorney General has records, in the form of documents, that respond to your request, the first 5 pages will be provided free of charge, and there will be a charge of .25 cents per page for each page that exceeds 5 pages. If a record is provided in any other medium, you will be charged for the actual cost of production of the response to your request. You will not receive the response to your request until after you have paid for your records

http://www.ag.ny.gov/bureaus/foil/about.html

Make a Foil Request

In order to process your FOIL request, we need you to fill out this:

http://www.ag.ny.gov/bureaus/foil/pdfs/FOILrequestform.pdf

[ja3kfd 34]

I do not think that they are , as far as I have read and understand it, but I am in no way an expert,FOIL has to do with Tax money and the way it is spent.

When we get a donation if it is not earmarked in the donation ie: for someone passing away, towards someting specific , we give it to our board of directors to invest, we do send a note along with what we have done with the money.

Edited January 16, 2010 by ja3kfd

[helicopper 1,050]

An interesting question. I think it will depend on how the entity is incorporated and whether or not they provide a public/government service. I'd be very interested to hear the opinion of any lawyers or others knowledgeable on the subject.

[ex-commish 490]

An interesting question. I think it will depend on how the entity is incorporated and whether or not they provide a public/government service. I'd be very interested to hear the opinion of any lawyers or others knowledgeable on the subject.

Opinion I received today from the state comptrollers office stated that fire companies are "agencies" and are subjected to FOIL. This is based on several court cases.

[firecapt32 282]

Even if they arent subject to FOIL, if a Fire comppany takes money from any one they had better keep a record of the funds.