Fire commissioner elections upcoming in the Bellmores

Bellmorites will head to the polls to vote in fire commissioner elections on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

In both the Bellmore and North Bellmore fire districts, two candidates will be on the ballot. Robert Taylor is challenging incumbent John Johnstone in Bellmore, while former chiefs Robert Bazarewski and Robert Marschall are running for the North Bellmore board.

Residents living in the 3.5-square-mile area that the Bellmore Fire Department serves can vote in the commissioner’s election at department headquarters, at 230 Pettit Ave., from 2 to 9 p.m.

The North Bellmore Fire District encompasses 4.3 square miles, including parts of East Meadow, North Merrick and Wantagh. District residents can vote at one of two locations — 821 or 1500 Newbridge Road –– from 3 to 9 p.m.

In Bellmore

Johnstone is chairman of the Bellmore Board of Fire Commissioners.

The 42-year Bellmore resident said he has been involved in the community since he was a child, as a member of local sports and youth organizations. The Shore Road School, Grand Avenue Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School graduate also joined the Bellmore Fire Department when he was young, becoming a member of the Junior Firematic Squad at 14 and a firefighter at 18.

Johnstone has served in several department leadership roles, including lieutenant and captain of the emergency medical services squad and lieutenant and captain of Engine Company No. 3. During his 25 years in the department, he has also been president and trustee of Engine Company No. 3 and the junior squad adviser, in addition to serving on various committees. He was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2009, allocating tax dollars for equipment, vehicles, training, hydrant rentals and building maintenance. In addition, he said, the board has improved service by replacing vehicles, updating cardiac monitors, and securing state and federal grants.

Johnstone will face Robert Taylor, a former department chief.

Taylor said that the fire service has long been an important part of his life, as his father was a Roosevelt Fire Department captain. He moved with his family to Bellmore 32 years ago, when he joined the Bellmore department’s junior squad.