N.Y. Town Law § 189-E
Subject to the restrictions hereinafter established, the property and affairs of joint fire districts shall be under the management and control and in charge of a board of not less than three and not more than seven commissioners, appointed by the town board of the town or the town boards of the towns and the board of trustees of the village or the boards of trustees of the villages in joint session as hereinafter provided, or elected as provided in article eleven of this chapter, as may be determined by resolution adopted at the meeting for the establishment of the district in the same manner as the resolution for the establishment of the district is adopted; or as may be determined by a joint consolidation agreement or elector initiated consolidation plan in accordance with article seventeen-A of the general municipal law. In case it is determined that the commissioners shall be selected in the manner provided by article eleven of this chapter, the appointments as provided for in subdivision one of section one hundred seventy-four of this chapter shall be made by the town board, or, if the district includes territory in more than one town, by the town board of all of the towns at a joint session held at one location within the district and thereafter elections shall be held as provided in article eleven of this chapter except that the terms of the commissioners shall be as hereinafter provided. They shall be residents of such district and in case selection is made as provided in article eleven of this chapter there shall be no other residential requirement, but otherwise if there are an even number of commissioners not more than half at any time shall be residents of such village or villages and if there are an odd number, the number that are residents of such village or villages shall not exceed the number that are residents of such town or towns by more than one. First appointments hereunder shall be made in the following manner: If there be three commissioners, the term of one shall expire one year, of another two years and of the other three years from the then next ensuing thirty-first day of December, and thereafter one shall be appointed annually for a term of three years from the date of the expiration of the term of his predecessor. If there be four commissioners, the term of one shall expire one year, of another two years, of another three years, and of the other four years from the then next ensuing thirty-first day of December, and thereafter one shall be appointed annually for a term of four years from the date of the expiration of the term of his predecessor. If there be five commissioners, the term of one shall expire one year, of another two years, of another three years, of another four years, and of the other five years from the then next ensuing thirty-first day of December, and thereafter one shall be appointed annually for a term of five years from the date of the expiration of a term of his predecessor. If there be six commissioners, the term of one shall expire one year, of another two years, of another three years, of another four years, and of the remaining two, five years from the then next ensuing thirty-first day of December, and thereafter appointments shall be made for a term of five years from the date of the expiration of the term of each commissioner. If there be seven commissioners, the term of one shall expire one year, of another two years, of another three years, and of two of the others four years, and of the remaining two, five years from the then next ensuing thirty-first day of December, and thereafter appointments shall be made for a term of five years from the date of the expiration of the term of each commissioner. Such board of commissioners may employ necessary labor and assistants, at a compensation approved by such boards in joint session. Such commissioners shall receive no compensation for their services, but they and their employees shall be allowed and paid their necessary expenses, payable as expenses of the district.
N.Y. Town Law § 189-E