Audit Finds East Norwich Fire Company Failed to Track Fuel Use Properly
East Norwich fire officials could not account for 2,936 gallons of fuel, a $7,603 gap that raises fresh questions about oversight in a taxpayer-funded emergency service.
An audit of the East Norwich Volunteer Fire Company Number 1 found fuel records so weak that auditors could not account for 2,936 gallons of gasoline and diesel, a missing total worth $7,603.
The review covered Jan. 1, 2023, through Nov. 30, 2024, and found the Nassau County fire company purchased 11,819 gallons of fuel costing $34,708. But officials did not accurately record deliveries or usage, did not review fuel paperwork in a timely way and did not carry out periodic reconciliations that could have exposed problems sooner.
Auditors also found the company recorded only 10,691 gallons as purchased, creating a 1,128-gallon mismatch between what was bought and what was entered in the records. The report said the Board-designated trustee responsible for overseeing fuel records could have identified the discrepancies earlier if the information had been complete and accurate.
The breakdown went beyond the missing gallons. Drivers dispensed fuel 441 times during the audit period, and the company’s logs included 16 incorrect vehicle ID entries, 33 incorrect or missing driver ID entries and 235 incorrect or missing odometer readings. Those errors made it harder to trace where fuel went and whether it was used for the company’s vehicles or lost through waste or misuse.
Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the audit on April 8, 2026, after it was issued March 27, 2026. The comptroller’s office said fuel is a frequent target for theft, waste and misuse, and that careful documentation and periodic reconciliation are basic safeguards against those risks.
East Norwich Volunteer Fire Company Number 1 serves the East Norwich fire protection district and contracted areas. Its stated purpose is to protect life and property, supply rescue services within its powers, establish discipline and maintain a union among its members.
Company officials generally agreed with the findings and said they plan to take corrective action. For Suffolk County readers, the audit is a reminder that weak fuel controls in one fire company can become a public-trust problem anywhere taxpayers and donors are expected to fund emergency readiness. When the paperwork cannot show where fuel went, it becomes harder to know whether a department is fully prepared when the next call comes in.
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