By NANCY HILER
Fire commissioners oversee department budgets, which include personnel training, fire and rescue vehicles and equipment, and upkeep of resources and district facilities. They serve without pay for five-year terms.
Three vie in Bellmore
Bellmore Fire Department incumbent Fire Commissioner Robert Agrisani is running against challengers Martin Johnstone and John Palmese. Residents may vote at department headquarters, 230 Pettit Ave.
With a current annual budget of just over $2.5 million, about 100 volunteer firefighters and fire-medics serve a 3.5-square-mile territory. Founded in 1897, the department now has three locations: the Advance Hook, Ladder and Engine Company No. 1 and Hose Company No. 1 on Pettit Avenue, Engine Company No. 2 on Bellmore Avenue, and the West End Engine Company No. 3 on Newbridge Road.
Robert Agrisani
Robert Agrisani seeks re-election to the Board of Fire Commissioners for a second term because, he says, he has made fiscal responsibility his top priority. "I've ensured that over the last five years, taxpayers' money has been spent wisely," he said. "This is evident in that the residents of Bellmore have not seen a fire tax increase in two years."
Currently serving as board secretary, Agrisani wants to continue to serve as what he calls a "watchdog for the community." After a recent state audit, he said, "The department passed with flying colors, and our insurance ranking is very high."
Agrisani has been a firefighter and EMT for 15 years, and says that the department is currently in great shape, with major renovation of the Pettit Avenue headquarters completed following a fire a few years back, and new fire trucks and other apparatus acquired in recent years.
On his watch, Agrisani has seen rising levels of volunteerism in the department. "The recruiting and retention of volunteers, both fire and EMS, have been overwhelming in recent years," he said.
When asked what he'd like voters to know, he said, "I care about the community. It's very important to me."
Martin Johnstone
Challenger Martin Johnstone is seeking the fire commissioner spot because he is "looking out for the best interests of the community and for the people in the fire service."
Johnstone is chief engineer for Engine 603, and a member of the West End Engine Company No. 3 Board of Trustees. "I make sure that the equipment is functional," he said. He has also served on two equipment design and building committees for the department, which are responsible for determining fire truck specifications and acquisition costs.
A three-time captain of Fire Engine 603 and the ex-president of Engine Company No. 2, Johnstone has been a firefighter for 24 years, since he was 18. Before that, he was a junior firefighter.
"I want the best equipment for the budget allocated," Johnstone said, adding that he is looking to upgrade a fire truck, and that the funds needed to do so are already in the budget. "The budget is pretty sound," he said, "so I don't see a need to raise taxes."
Asked what he wants voters to know about him, he said, "It is your tax money, and you have my pledge that I will continue to be your watchdog and keep taxes down."
John Palmese
Challenger John Palmese has been a member of the Bellmore Fire department for 30 years. "I'm the best-qualified candidate," he said, "the only person who achieved the rank of chief, chosen by my peers."
A former department chief and an ex-captain of Engine Company No. 2, Palmese moved up through the ranks, holding a number of officer positions, including lieutenant, president, vice president and trustee.
He was named the department's Fireman of the Year in 1988. He is also the recipient of two county medals of honor for heroism, one earned when he pulled a man out of a burning home in 1993 and the other for his work in extinguishing several store fires along Pettit Avenue in 2001.
"Taxes could be lower," Palmese commented when asked about the fiduciary responsibilities he would have as a commissioner. "As far as our department now, equipment-wise, we have it good."
A recently retired New York City police detective, where he served with the Organized Crime Control Bureau, Palmese received more than 20 NYPD department recognition medals during his career. He and his wife, Beth, have lived in Bellmore for most of their lives, and are raising three sons in the community.
When asked what he wants residents to know about him, Palmese said, "I'm a fireman. This is a legacy here."
Subhead: Ex-chief runs unopposed
In the North Bellmore Fire Department election, Stephen Sharkey is running unopposed for the position being vacated by Commissioner and Chairman Timothy Green, who has chosen to step down.
Residents may vote in the North Bellmore Fire District election at either the North Bellmore fire station, at 1500 Newbridge Road, or at the Company No. 2 building, at 821 Newbridge Road.
Working with a $3.8 million budget, the department provides round-the-clock firefighting and emergency medical services to some 25,000 homes and hundreds of businesses covering nearly 4.5 square miles of North Bellmore as well as parts of Wantagh, East Meadow, Bellmore, North Merrick and Levittown.
An active firefighter and fire inspector, Stephen Sharkey served as chief of the department in 2005-06. He was unavailable for an interview as of press time.
Comments about this story? NHiler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
