Wantagh Fire Department celebrates at installation dinner

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Wantagh Fire Department volunteers celebrated the organization’s leaders and longtime members at the 118th annual installation dinner on March 4.

The Wantagh Fire Department serves all of Wantagh, Seaford Harbor and parts of Levittown, Bellmore and East Meadow. Firefighters from each community flocked to the Crest Hollow Country Club to watch the four chiefs take their oaths of office and cheer on 38 members — who have volunteered for the department for up to 45 years each, officials said — when they received service awards.

For the second consecutive years, James Bloomfield will serve as the chief of the department. Kevin Regan, Wantagh’s public information officer, said that he has been a dedicate member of the Fire Department since March 1996.

Bloomfield was elected lieutenant of Ladder 1 in May 2002, and earned the rank of captain in May 2004. In 2010, he was elected assistant chief. He ascended to the top leadership position in the Fire Department in January 2016.

Regan said that Bloomfield has served on many committees, including training, safety, fire prevention, Haz mat and the Incident Management Team in the past. Bloomfield is now the chairman on the Nassau County Hazardous Materials Committee.

In addition to his service to the Fire Department, Bloomfield is also the master mason with Wantagh Morton Lodge No. 63, a Cub Scout leader with Pack 191, boys’ and girls’ soccer and lacrosse coach and boys’ baseball coach. He and his wife, Margaret, have three children, John, Emma and Mary.

Bloomfield gave a speech after being sworn in, Regan said, acknowledging the commitment that members make to the community while continually training and learning new and advanced techniques and procedures. The chief said that service is “a burden which all of our members accept with pride, professionalism and respect.” He also thanked volunteers’ loved ones, who he said offer support and make sacrifices by allowing members of the Fire Department to leave family gatherings to serve their neighbors.

First Assistant Chief Joseph Gross III, Second Assistant Kenneth Kelly and Third Assistant Thomas Bloomfield were also installed to their respective roles. “These men, along with the captains and lieutenants, provide the leadership and direction for approximately 250 dedicated volunteers who serve the residents of the Wantagh Fire District,” Regan said.

Fire officials also gave awards to longtime members. Kathy True, a lifelong resident of Wantagh and a past president of the Ladies Auxiliary, was recognized for her 50 years of service. Regan said that True has led and served on many committees, including fire prevention, blood drive and many fundraising events. She organized dinners and a Halloween party for families affected by Hurricane Sandy and coordinates sending care packages to members of the department who serve in the military.

True’s commitment to fire service goes beyond the Wantagh-Seaford area, Regan said. She was president of the Nassau County Firemen’s Association Ladies Auxiliary in 1981 and is a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York. She received the LAFASNY Member Recognition Award in 2015 for her long time and tireless commitment to the group.

Ex-Chief Steve Schuman and Kevin Kefer, Tom Brandon and Bill Gilmor, all former captains, were also honored for serving the Fire Department for more than 40 years. Firefighter Tim Speicher was acknowledged for serving the United States Coast Guard.