Field seeks fifth term in Wantagh

The Fire Department has been a big part of William Field’s life for four decades. He joined the Wantagh Fire Department when he was 18, rose to the rank of chief, and has served as commissioner for the past 20 years.

Field, 60, is running unopposed for a seat on the Wantagh Fire District’s Board of Commissioners, with a vote scheduled for Tuesday. He is seeking his fifth five-year term. The commissioners are in charge of approving and managing the Fire Department’s budget, which in Wantagh is about $6.5 million. The district includes portions of Seaford Harbor and northern Seaford.

The lifelong Wantagh resident is a graduate of MacArthur High School. Field wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a firefighter in Hempstead. When he turned 18, there was a waiting list, and it was six months before he was accepted as a volunteer. He has not looked back.

Field joined Engine Company No. 4 located at Station Two on Wantagh Avenue. He served four years as the company’s lieutenant, then three as captain. He became an assistant chief of the department, and served as its chief from 1990-93.

The next year, he was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners, and has remained an active volunteer. Field is a retired Nassau County police sergeant, and spent the better part of his 29 years patrolling Wantagh with the 7th Precinct. “I feel I pretty much have a lifetime dealing in public safety,” he said.

As a commissioner, Field said his goal is to provide firefighters and emergency medical technicians with the most sophisticated equipment at the most affordable price for taxpayers. He noted that the average tax bill for residents of the fire district is about $300 per year, so the commissioner election typically draws little interest.

“We continue to provide the highest level of service,” he said. “I believe the vast majority of the people are happy with what they get from us.”