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Mostly Cloudy Longtime fire commissioner Quackenbush says goodbye
Commissioner election set for December
Robert Quackenbush plans to retire as a Baldwin fire commissioner after more than 30 years as a leader of the Fire Department.
Quackenbush announced on Oct. 5 that he would retire in December. He said he was proud to serve as a commissioner, but needed more time to spend with his family and friends.
“Although it’s a volunteer position, 30 years is a long time,” he said.
Quackenbush said he first joined the Fire Department in March 1977. As a commissioner, he has contributed to its growth by helped recruit new hires, set budgets and obtain new equipment.
He has overseen the rotation of new fire trucks and ambulances, he said, and seen to it that the vehicles were outfitted with updated equipment.
For example, equipment in the department’s fire trucks is now battery-operated, he explained, eliminating gasoline and wiring from the scene of an accident, increasing safety.
Quackenbush said he helped secured auto extrication equipment like the Jaws of Life — a tool capable of cutting through metal as the number of car accidents increased.
“My biggest achievement as fire commissioner was helping (the department) grow and keeping everyone safe,” he said. “I consider Baldwin one of the best fire districts in Long Island.”
Quackenbush said he prided himself on efficient spending of the department budget in the interest of keeping residents’ taxes low. The department’s annual budget is now approximately $5.13 million.
Quackenbush now plans to spend more time with his loved ones, like his three grandchildren — one who is starting college, another who is a high school sophomore and another who is in fifth grade. He also plans to spend more time working on his 1955 Chevrolet and his hobby, building furniture.
To fill his position, two decorated Baldwin firefighters announced their candidacy this week — Jerry Brown, a firefighter for Hook & Ladder 2 and a commissioner for the Town of Hempstead Sanitation District 2, and Thomas Brown, a former chief of the Baldwin F.D. and member of the First Aid Company. The two men are not related.
Thomas Brown, a friend of Quackenbush’s for 35 years, said it is unfortunate that he’s stepping down, because is a major asset to the fire department. “I wish him the best,” Brown said. “His shoes will be hard to fill.”
Brown said he moved to Baldwin when he was 4 years old, and has lived in the community for almost 56 years. He said he joined the Fire Department “as soon as he could,” at age 21 in 1983. He will mark 40 years of service in January.
Brown was also a New York City Fire Department captain, chief of the Baldwin department in 2004, a Nassau County fire commissioner from 2005 to 2006, and remains a senior paramedic in the Baldwin F.D., where he has trained hundreds of firefighters.
“Between my fire and medical knowledge, I feel that I’m the superior candidate for the fire commissioner position,” Brown said.
Jerry Brown said that Quackenbush was instrumental for his role in expanding the department’s building space. Quackenbush, Brown said, spearheaded extensions, new storage garages and a new building behind department headquarters — and secured self-contained breathing equipment for the department.
“Were going to miss Bobby as a commissioner,” Jerry Brown said, “but we can still draw from his wisdom as he continues to serve in the department.”
Brown said that after his years working with Quackenbush, he was asked to run for commissioner. He joined the department in June 1973, and will mark 50 years as a firefighter and a medic next spring.
He and Quackenbush have been friends since fourth grade, he said, and both graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in 1970. They reconnected when Quackenbush bought a home in Baldwin and joined the department, and they’ve worked together ever since.
Registered voters in the Baldwin Fire District can cast their votes for the fire commissioner’s position on Dec. 13, from 2 to 9 p.m., at Fire Department headquarters. The new commissioner will take office on Jan. 1.
