Members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department will head to the polls to vote on the leadership of their department, including chief of department, first assistant chief, second assistant chief, and the department’s representative to the 4th Battalion Fire District.
Anthony “Tony” Rugolo is seeking a second term as chief of department on April 9. Rugolo has served as second assistant chief and first assistant chief and has received unanimous endorsement from Woodland Engine Company No. 4. A member of the company since 1984, Rugolo has held positions including financial secretary, second and first lieutenant, and captain, stepping in again as captain in 2016 when the company needed leadership.
Rugolo joined the chiefs’ office in 2021 and comes from a family with deep fire service roots. He is a retired paid firefighter from Garden City and his father was an active member of Live Oak Engine Co. No. 1. His brother, Joe, is a three-term captain of Woodland Engine Co. No. 4 and is currently a senior warden on the Fire Department Council, and his son, Anthony, serves as captain for Woodland and is a career firefighter with the FDNY.
Rugolo and his wife of 37 years, Eileen, have three children: Joe, an orthopedic physician assistant, and daughters Christina and Megan, both special education teachers.
Seeking a second term as first assistant chief is Patrick Healey, who has received unanimous support from Eureka Hook, Ladder and Bucket Company No. 1. A lifelong Rockville Centre resident, Healey has been a member of Eureka for 16 years and has served as second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and captain.
Healy has participated in multiple committees, including the new truck committee, served as chief chauffeur, and works closely with the department’s Board of Instruction. Healey also serves as a director of Eureka’s corporation and works as a lineman for the Village of Freeport Electric Department.
Brian O’Toole is running unopposed for a second term as second assistant chief with unanimous support from Reliance Hose Company No. 3. O’Toole has focused on modernizing department operations, including moving the department to the National Emergency Response Information System and developing a streamlined officer application process for fire school registration.
O’Toole serves alongside his wife Liz and their three children, balancing leadership, family, and community commitment. He credits Rugolo and Healey for setting the tone and guiding departmental progress.
Running unopposed for fourth battalion delegate is former Chief Mark Murray. Murray served as chief of department from 2009 to 2011 and is seeking his sixth term as fourth battalion district delegate, a position he was first elected to in 2011.
Murray also served as chairman of the 4th Battalion Fire District from 2021 to 2023.
The volunteer Rockville Centre Fire Department provides the village’s primary emergency services under an annual contract. Members vote internally for chiefs and other officers, but the election serves as a nomination submitted to Mayor Francis X. Murray and the Board of Trustees, who formally appoint them. Officers will be sworn in by the mayor and board at the fire council meeting on April 21.
