By LARRY MAIER
On Election Day, Tuesday, Dec. 12, the ballots at fire department headquarters were easy to understand and the voting machines left no chads hanging. And, when the polls closed at 9 P.M., the official results were known almost immediately and offered no real surprises. Michael McDermott was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners.
Mr. McDermott, a 25-year veteran of the Baldwin Fire Department, received 602 of the 1129 votes cast, easily outdistancing runners-up Robert Hachemeister (338 votes) and Ralph Rose (189 votes). Though not technically the incumbent in the race, Mr. McDermott enjoyed an incumbent's advantage, having been appointed to the board in November 1999 following the resignation of Commissioner Gary Eckles. Also, the Board of Fire Commissioners endorsed Mr. McDermott during his campaign.
"All three candidates are nice guys and very qualified," said Frank Esposito, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, just moments before the votes were counted. "Mike McDermott is the incumbent. He was given an opportunity and has done a fantastic job for the past 14 months."
Once the polls closed, it took only a few minutes for the ballots from the three voting machines to be counted. Mr. McDermott paced nervously until the final tally was reached. However, after the numbers from the second machine were announced, it was clear the election was over and Mr. Rose approached Mr. McDermott to offer his congratulations.
Both runners-up were gracious in defeat. "I congratulate Mike McDermott and I promise him my support," said Mr. Hachemeister.
"Ditto," said Ralph Rose, who also hinted that he will run again for the post. "I'll be back. It's no big deal."
Following his victory, Mr. McDermott's first thoughts were to thank those who helped to get him elected.
"This is a tremendous victory. It is a reflection on my friends, not just me," An emotional Mr. McDermott said upstairs in the headquarters' board room. "All of the commissioners supported me. We are a family. This was a family effort."
In a show of his appreciation, Mr. McDermott invited his fellow commissioners to join him in the front of the board room, while Timothy Dougherty, attorney for the Baldwin Fire Department, administered the oath of office.
Mr. McDermott's wife, Chris, said that she and a group of friends spent the entire day making phone calls to drum up support for their candidate.
"I think Michael has lived his entire life for this moment," said Mrs. McDermott, watching proudly as her husband accepted congratulations from his fellow volunteers. "No one works harder for this town. Michael is not power hungry at all, he just wants to do good things for the people of Baldwin."
When asked about his plans for his tenure on the board, Mr. McDermott said he was ready to work with the other commissioners in an effort to continue improving the department.
"I'm just one guy," said Mr. McDermott. "And I am looking forward to going back to work."
