Bellmore Fire District elections upcoming

Bellmore residents are encouraged to take part in the race for fire commissioner in the Bellmore and North Bellmore fire districts.

The Bellmore polls will be open on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the station, 230 Pettit Avenue.

North Bellmore residents can vote on Dec. 12 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the department’s locations at 1500 and 821 Newbridge Road in North Bellmore.

Robert Angrisani (incumbent), Bellmore Fire District

Age: 45

Career: Construction professional  

Family: Wife Amy, daughter Deanna

Experience in the department: Member of the department for 20 years and fire commissioner for 15 years.

Goals if elected: “It would be my privilege to continue to help keep our community safe as well as continuing to protect your fiscal interests. The Bellmore community is extremely lucky to have the best volunteer Fire and EMS personnel around and it is the job of the commissioners to support them with the most up-to-date equipment and training while keeping taxpayer costs down.”

John J. Podolski, Bellmore Fire District

Age: 72

Career: Retired purchasing officer agent for Nassau County Board of Elections.

Family: Wife Lucia, son John, 45, daughter Jill, 41, son Matthew, 35 and granddaughter Sidney, 3 months.

Experience in the department: Member of the department for 30 years, current financial secretary; commissioner from 1990-2010 and past president of Engine Company No. 2.

Goals if elected: “I want to oversee the financial end of the district and make sure that our firefighters and EMS personnel have the most up-to-date equipment to fulfill their duties.”

Paul Zuckerberg, Bellmore Fire District

Age: 61

Career: Police officer with Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 20 years, holding positions of police lieutenant, staff sergeant, sergeant and officer, aircraft rescue firefighter and crew chief; paramedic instructor at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Catholic Medical Center’s of NY and Nassau County Fire Police Academy.

Family: Married with three children, three grandchildren.

Experience in the department: Five-time captain of EMS squad and paramedic and firefighter for over 18 years; reviews, tests, evaluates and recommends medical equipment for purchase; currently administrator and trainer of new electronic ambulance call reports; department’s EMS training officer.

Goals if elected: “My priorities as the Bellmore Fire Commissioner are as follows: [Establish] a strong EMS system with the best lifesaving equipment and training available. The implementation of community CPR and AED training programs. And cost management in providing the highest quality of fire suppression and emergency medical services.

Edward Kraus Jr. (incumbent), North Bellmore Fire District

Age: 35

Career: Mortgage broker, rental company owner and former fire instructor at the Nassau County Fire Academy for 10 years.

Family: Wife Jennifer and three sons Edward III, 7, Joseph, 5 and John, 3. 

Experience in the department: Involved in department for 18 years; Commissioner for the past five years, chief for four years, captain and a lieutenant; former chairman of the Nassau County Sixth Battalion Fire Chief’s Association. 

Goals if elected: “I’d have some really great colleagues and we’ve got some great stuff accomplished. This year, I was able to produce a budget that lowers the tax levy by 18 percent. We’ve kept good equipment and have lowered costs, while keeping emergency service needs in mind.”

Andrew Oppenheimer, North Bellmore Fire District  

Age: 48

Career: Owner of a packaging company

Family: Wife Keri and daughter Julianna, 14 

Experience in department: EMT for 15 years, preceptor for incoming EMTs in the district and served on several work committees within the department.

Goals if elected: “I decided to run this year because of some of my disappointments with the department, not only as a member, but someone living in the community. The EMS services were cut back in my community. I could make a difference by becoming commissioner and get us back to where we were before poor decisions were made.”

William Vargas, North Bellmore Fire District

Age: 69

Career: Former mechanic for Nassau Inter County Express bus system.

Family: Wife Bonnie and daughter Genene, 38.

Experience in the department: 41 years in the North Bellmore Fire Department and five in the Wantagh Fire Department, served as officer, lieutenant, captain and trustee, and has directed the Engine Company 1 budget.

Goals if elected: “I am looking to try to save the district money. I want to better our firefighting abilities and they equipment that we have and negotiate with New York American Water to lower our tax rate.”