Bellmores to elect fire commissioners

The firefighters running for a position on their respective boards of commissioners are, from left, Bellmore candidate Richard Holzhauer; North Bellmore candidate Robert Bazarewski; and North Bellmore candidate Mark Collins.

Graphic by Julie Mansmann

Bellmore and North Bellmore residents will head to the polls to choose the newest members of their fire districts’ boards of commissioners next week.

Both the Bellmore and North Bellmore fire districts will hold elections for one open seat on their respective boards on Tuesday, Dec. 9. In Bellmore, Richard Holzhauer is running unopposed, while former chiefs Robert Bazarewski and Mark Collins are running for a seat on the North Bellmore board.

Bellmore residents may vote at department headquarters, at 230 Pettit Ave., from 2 to 9 p.m.

The North Bellmore Fire District takes in parts of East Meadow and North Merrick. District residents may cast their ballots from 3 to 9 p.m. at the firehouse at 1500 Newbridge Road or 821 Newbridge Road.

Fire commissioners oversee their departments’ finances and equipment purchasing.

In Bellmore

Richard Holzhauer, a firefighter and emergency medical technician who ran for a seat on Bellmore’s board but lost in 2012, is unchallenged this time around. He said he wants to create an electronic ambulance report that would streamline the transition from vehicle to hospital emergency room when a patient is brought in for treatment.

Holzhauer, who has lived in Bellmore for 15 years, is an Air Force veteran and a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores. He said he has experience balancing a budget, having owned a plumbing and heating business for 34 years.

“I know how difficult it is to keep costs down and continue to provide exceptional service,” he said. “I am committed to keeping spending down within the district while continuing to provide the highest quality of fire suppression and emergency medical services.”