N.Y. TWN Law § 178-D

§ 178-d. Costs, expenses and damages a fire district charge in certain\ncases. Whenever the fire district commissioners or board of fire\ncommissioners of any fire district, or any fire district officers, have\nbeen or shall be instructed by a resolution adopted at a regular special\nmeeting of the board of fire commissioners to defend any action brought\nagainst them, or to bring or defend an action or proceeding affecting\nany district property or claim of the district, or involving its rights\nor interests, or to continue any such action or defense, all their costs\nand reasonable expenses, as well as all costs and damages adjudged\nagainst them, shall be a district charge and shall be levied upon the\ntaxable property of such district in the same manner as moneys raised\nfor the support of such district. Whenever any fire district\ncommissioner or fire district officer shall defend any action or\nproceeding, other than a criminal proceeding, hereafter brought against\nhim, arising out of the exercise of his powers or the performance of his\nduties, provided such commissioner or officer was acting in the\ndischarge of his duties and within the scope of his authority at the\ntime damages were sustained, all his reasonable costs and expenses, as\nwell as all costs and damages adjudged against him, shall be a district\ncharge and shall be levied upon the taxable property of such district in\nthe same manner as money raised for the support of such district,\nprovided (a) such fire district commissioner or fire district officer\nshall notify the board of fire commissioners in writing of the\ncommencement of such action or proceedings against him within five days\nafter service of process upon him; and (b) the board of fire\ncommissioners shall, at any time during the ten days next following the\nnotice to them of the commencement of such action or proceedings, have\nthe right to designate and appoint the legal counsel to represent such\nfire district commissioner or fire district officer in such action or\nproceedings against him, in the absence of which designation and\nappointment within the time specified such fire district commissioner or\nfire district officer may select his own legal counsel.\n