Mr. Tradeski received 206 out of 397 votes cast, defeating Dawn Jacobs, who got 142 votes, and Richard Campbell with 34.

In Manorville, incumbent Charles Steuerwald beat challenger and ex-fire chief Sal D’Amato 235 to 118. Tim Deveny won reelection in Wading River with 179 of 249 votes, and Kerri Davis ran unopposed in Jamesport.

Fire commissioner boards monitor the financial and business practices of each fire district. Their responsibilities range from proposing budgets to initiating projects to improve fire safety. The boards govern all fire companies and fire departments in a given district by adopting rules and regulations for their members.

However, they do not lead the day-to-day operations or respond to emergency situations as a fire chief would.

Mr. Tradeski, current chairman of the Riverhead Fire District board of commissioners, will begin another five-year term on Jan. 1. 

He has served as a past chief of the department and is a 48-year active member of the Riverhead Fire Department. As a commissioner, he was part of the decision to upgrade the department’s Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP).

“Looking ahead, my focus remains on supporting firefighter safety, ensuring our members have the tools, equipment, and training they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” Mr. Tradeski said in a statement on Facebook. “As our community continues to evolve, maintaining high standards of preparedness and protection is more important than ever, and I am committed to helping guide that work.”

Ms. Davis, who has been a member of the Jamesport Fire Department for over 30 years, will begin her new five-year term early next year. Nathan Edington will fill the open one-year commissioner seat on the board, which ends in December 2026.

In the race for Wading River Fire District commissioner, Mr. Deveny defeated Julio Prendergast, a career paramedic and deputy chief of EMS for Southampton Volunteer Ambulance.

Mr. Steuerwald has served as a Manorville Fire Commissioner for the last two years. He has been an active volunteer for the Manorville Fire Department for the last decade.

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From proposing budgets to initiating projects to improve fire safety, fire commissioner boards monitor the financial and business practices of each fire district but do not lead the day-to-day operations or respond to emergency situations as a fire chief would. 

The boards govern all fire companies and fire departments in a given district by adopting rules and regulations for their members. Most of the fire commissioners elected in this year’s race will serve a five-year term in their respective fire districts, starting Jan. 1, 2026, and ending Dec. 31, 2030. 

Below is a voters’ guide for all the area races.

Riverhead Fire District

The annual Riverhead Fire District commissioner election will be at the district headquarters at 540 Roanoke Ave. in Riverhead. Voters can cast their ballots for one five-year fire commissioner between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

John Tradeski Jr., current chairman of the board of commissioners, is running for reelection. Mr. Tradeski has served as a past chief of the department and is a 48-year active member of the Riverhead Fire Department. 

As a commissioner, he was part of the decision to upgrade the department’s Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) by increasing the maximum years of service credit, improving the monthly benefit, and strengthening the funded ratio to 94.6% as of Jan. 1, 2025 — including a 10-year minimum guaranteed benefit.

Richard Campbell is a 42-year Riverhead Fire Department volunteer eyeing Mr. Tradeski’s commissioner seat. Throughout his time in the fire division, he served as captain of the fire police patrol company, as well as the company’s safety and health officer. 

He has also been a Riverhead EMT for 15 years and now operates a small business providing first aid and CPR training to businesses, organizations and private groups. He retired from working in the defense industry after 40 years. 

Dawn Jacobs is also on the candidate slate for Riverhead Fire District Commissioner. With almost three decades of emergency services experience as an EMT and firefighter, Ms. Jacobs is currently a public safety dispatcher for local police, EMS and eight area fire departments. 

Her priorities include restoring integrity, openness and trust in fire district leadership. She hopes to strike a balance between safety and accountability, which entails closely monitoring spending, eliminating unnecessary expenses and investing in resources that keep firefighters safe. 

All voters residing in the Riverhead Fire District in Riverhead, Southampton or Brookhaven towns that are registered with the Suffolk County Board of Elections are eligible to vote.

Wading River Fire District

The Wading River Fire District election is from noon to 9 p.m. at the Wading River Fire House at 1503 North Country Road. Voters will elect one fire district commissioner to serve a five-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2026, and ending Dec. 31, 2030.

Current commissioner Tim Deveny is seeking reelection. In his present role, he worked with the district manager to secure a $549,000 grant to update the Wading River Fire Department’s almost 40-year-old engine tanker and is pursuing a $620,000 grant to update a 1992 pumper. 

He has also prioritized increasing Wading River’s EMS program and supported the addition of a third ambulance in response to a spike in EMS call volume. 

Julio Prendergast is a career paramedic running for the fire district commissioner spot. He is  deputy chief of EMS for Southampton Volunteer Ambulance and an over 20-year volunteer first responder. 

If elected, some of Mr. Prendergast’s goals are to provide firefighters and EMS the resources they need to perform at the highest level, strengthen community safety through smart budgeting and ensure equipment is in mission-ready condition.  

All registered voters residing in the Wading River Fire District are eligible to vote.

Jamesport Fire District

Voters will place two votes on the ballot for the Jamesport Fire District: a single five-year fire commissioner term and then a one-year term, which ends December 2026. Polls will be open at the Jamesport Fire House at 25 Manor Lane. 

Kerri Davis is running for reelection for the five-year seat. She has been a member of the Jamesport Fire Department for over 30 years and has served one-term as fire commissioner.

There are no known candidates running for the one-year term seat, according to the fire district secretary.

All residents living within the fire district and registered with the Suffolk County Board of Elections are eligible to vote in this election. 

Manorville Fire District

Incumbent Charles Steuerwald and challenger Sal D’Amato are vying for the single five-year commissioner seat for the Manorville Fire District.

Voting will take place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at all three district firehouses: 14 Silas Carter Road in Manorville; 170 Cranford Blvd. in Mastic; and 40 Halsey Manor Road in Manorville.

Mr. Steuerwald has served as a Manorville Fire Commissioner for the last two years and is seeking another term. In his current role on the board, he is responsible for applying for local and federal government grants for new vehicles and equipment, as well as other fiscal decisions that don’t burden taxpayers.

Aside from being commissioner, Mr. Steuerwald has been an active volunteer for the Manorville Fire Department for the last decade.

His opponent, Mr. D’Amato, is an ex-fire chief with over 30 years of service in the Manorville community. He has experience with department budget management and resource allocation, and understands challenges such as maintaining staff, training, equipment and long-term planning.

If elected, Mr. D’Amato aims to provide transparent decision-making, modernize equipment and facilities, proactively seek out grant funding and prepare the Manorville Fire Department for future growth and emergency demands.

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The complaint alleges that contracting company Elite Towers “conspired” with town and fire district officials to illegally bypass necessary zoning and site plan approvals, denying the plaintiffs’ rights to raise their concerns with the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Facing ongoing communication challenges and a growing threat to the safety of first responders, the Wading River Fire District partnered with Elite Towers and Verizon Wireless to construct the communications facility, which would be equipped with a 190-foot concealment pole, to improve emergency correspondence capabilities. 

The Riverhead Town Board approved a zoning exemption for the project on Dec. 3, which allowed the developers to bypass applying for variances from the ZBA, securing a special permit from the Town Board and formal site plan approval from the Planning Board.

The 162-page complaint details the concerns of 17 residents who live near the proposed tower on North Country Road, including negative aesthetic impacts, a potential decrease in property values, financial hardships, risks of falling debris from the structure and other long-term consequences for the historic district. The lawsuit also alleges that officials failed to provide “sufficient evidence” for the need of the new tower prior to approval and requests that the Riverhead Town Board formally deny Elite Towers application in writing.

In seeking the zoning exemption, the developers undertook a nine-part process called the Monroe Balancing Test, which is used to assess the nature of a proposed project, its impact on the local community and how the public would benefit, factors used in determining whether a project should be exempt from local zoning rules.

The complaint was submitted by Andew Campanelli, a Merrick-based attorney representing the residents, who alleges that Elite Towers was aware of the “dramatic adverse impacts” the communications pole would inflict on the surrounding residences and the possibility of the ZBA not granting the required variances.

Because of this, he and the plaintiffs claim that Elite Towers “conspired” with Riverhead Town Board members who violated the town code to “deprive the plaintiffs of their rights to be heard before the ZBA” and the Planning Board, the complaint said.

The residents further claim this “coordinated scheme” to avoid the necessary zoning procedures violates their First Amendment rights to speak out against the communication tower’s construction.

The plaintiffs said the communications tower application does not meet the requirements of the Monroe Balancing Test and that there is “no evidence supporting the claim that there is a deficiency in the Fire District’s current communications services,” according the the filing, or that adding a wireless facility to the firehouse property would address those concerns in any way.

Mr. Campanelli previously said at a Riverhead Town Board meeting that the applicant omitted the photographic perspective from the homes surrounding the proposed tower and noted the dangers of potential structural failures, ice and debris falling from the tower as well as the risk of fire at the facility. 

He also stated that a more accurate method for pinpointing service gaps in the area would have been through a “drive test,” where an engineer monitors the frequencies of wireless signals in various locations, collects data through calls or other indicators and records where signal strength weakens. 

The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial, injunctive relief as well as monetary damages and reimbursement for attorneys’ fees.

Fire district officials plan to allow at least two cellular service providers access to the tower for two reasons: to improve and enhance real-time correspondence during emergency situations and to provide better overall cellular coverage to the area. 

In 2024, the department’s volunteers responded to nearly 1,300 emergency calls — and reported multiple communication hiccups, including an incident when firefighters at a scene could not reach the firehouse dispatcher to request backup and EMT support — despite being just a quarter-mile from headquarters.

At a Wading River Fire District fire commissioner’s meeting on Dec. 9, officials anticipated the communications tower would be up and running by March or April this year, according to the meeting minutes.

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A majority of the races were unopposed, however, three districts were contested: Wading River, Manorville and Southold. Most of the candidates ran for a five-year term, while others intended for one- or two-year spots.  

From proposing budgets to initiating projects to improve fire safety, fire commissioner boards monitor the financial and business practices of each fire district but do not lead the day-to-day operations or respond to emergency situations as a fire chief would. 

The boards govern all fire companies and fire departments in a given district by adopting rules and regulations for the members. Below are the winners of each fire district election. 

The post Fire Commissioner election results: former police chief Hegermiller defeats Culhane in Wading River appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A majority of the races are unopposed, however, three districts are being contested: Wading River, Manorville and Southold.

From proposing budgets to initiating projects to improve fire safety, fire commissioner boards monitor the financial and business practices of each fire district but do not lead the day-to-day operations or respond to emergency situations as a fire chief would. 

The boards govern all fire companies and fire departments in a given district by adopting rules and regulations for the members. Below is a voters’ guide for all the area races.

RIVERHEAD FIRE DISTRICTS 

Riverhead Fire District 

• Current board chairman Edward Carey Jr. is running unopposed for a five-year term. 
• All registered voters residing in the Towns of Riverhead, Southampton and Brookhaven are eligible to vote. 
• Voting will take place from 3 p.m to 9 p.m. at the fire district headquarters located at 540 Roanoke Ave. in Riverhead. 
• There are no propositions on the ballot this year.

Wading River Fire District 

• Vice chairman Terrence Culhane and former Riverhead police chief David Hegermiller are vying for the five-year role as commissioner.
• Voting will take place from noon to 9 p.m. at the Wading River Fire House, 1503 North Country Rd. in Wading River. 
• There are no propositions in this election. 

Jamesport Fire District

• John Newman is running for a five-year term as fire commissioner. 
• There is a proposition on the ballot concerning an adjustment of the Jamesport Fire District Service Program length.
• Voters will decide on an increased monthly payment from $20 to $25 and lowering the entitlement age to 62-years-old for certain volunteers. 
• The fire district’s current contribution to the Length of Service Award Program Trust Fund is roughly $175,000 annually, plus yearly administrative costs of approximately $5,750. 
• If the resolution is approved, future contributions would increase to nearly $205,000 per year, plus annual administrative costs of approximately $6,000. 
• Voting will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m at the Jamesport Firehouse, 25 Manor Lane, Jamesport.

Manorville Fire District 

• Incumbent William Costello and challenger Michael W. Vetack are running for the five-year fire term as commissioner. 
• Voting will take place from 3 p.m to 9 p.m. at three local firehouses: 14 Silas Carter Rd. in Manorville, 170 Cranford Blvd. in Mastic and 40 Halsey Manor Rd. in Manorville. 
• There are no propositions for this election. 

NORTH FORK FIRE DISTRICTS

Mattituck Fire District 

• Current fire commissioner board member Edward Hanus is running for a five-year term.  
• Voters can cast ballots at the Mattituck Fire House at 1000 Pike Street between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. 
• There are no propositions on this year’s ballot. 

Cutchogue Fire District 

• Fire Commissioner Michael Finnican is running for another five-year term. 
• Voting will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Cutchogue Fire District Annex at 32470 Main Road in Cutchogue. 
• There are no propositions on the ballot. 

Southold Fire District

• There are two fire commissioner seats up for election this year, including one two-year term and one five-year term.
• Current chairman William Salmon is running for a five-year term. 
• The vacant two-year seat was previously held by Thomas Grattan, Sr. who passed away in February. His son, Thomas Grattan Jr., is running for that seat against challenger, Catherine Wilinski.
• Voting will take place between 6 p.m and 9 p.m. at the Southold Firehouse, 55135 Main Rd. in Southold.

East Marion Fire District 

• Bill Anderson will be running for a second term as fire commissioner, a position he has held for the last five years.
• Voting will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the East Marion Firehouse at 9245 Main Road in East Marion. 
• No propositions are on the ballot.

Orient Fire District 

• Two commissioner positions are open this year: Grayson Murphy is running for a five-year term and Jessica Harris is running for a one-year term. 
• Voters can cast ballots from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. at the Orient Firehouse, 23300 Main Rd. in Orient.

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Facing ongoing communication challenges and a growing threat to the safety of first responders, the Wading River Fire District is partnering with Elite Towers and Verizon Wireless to construct a wireless communications facility, equipped with a 190-foot concealment pole that would strengthen its emergency correspondence. 

The zoning exemption request was evaluated through a nine-part process called the Monroe Balancing Test, which is used to assess the nature of a proposed project, its impact on the local community and how the public would benefit. All of these components factor into determining whether or not the project should be exempted from local zoning rules.

The resolution approved Tuesday afternoon also made the Town Board the lead agency in the State Environmental Quality Review Act — or SEQRA — process. The board then issued a negative SEQRA declaration, having determined that the cell tower would not result in any significant negative environmental impacts. 

Now that the project no longer needs to apply for variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, a special permit from the Town Board or formal site plan approval from the Planning Board, the applicants can proceed with obtaining permits from the building department and fire marshal. 

“Every second counts, and without radio communications, we fail, and we don’t want to fail,” said Councilman Kenneth Rothwell, who is also a volunteer firefighter with the Wading River Fire Department. “When we know we have the ability to fix something, when we know we have the ability to [improve] response time, when we know we have the ability to direct appropriate apparatuses and medical needs to our paramedics, to our police officers — that is a benefit to every resident in Wading River.” 

Aside from filling existing service gaps, the Town Board noted other benefits the communications tower would provide, such as tax burden alleviation, due to revenue generated between the fire district and Elite Towers, and the ability to provide improved communications to other town agencies, including the Riverhead Police Department. 

The fire district’s communications antennas at the top of the structure would bring its total height to 213 feet; Verizon Wireless also plans to install three of its own antennas at a centerline height of 185 feet.  Seven antennas are reserved for future carriers, according to the application.

All of the wireless antennas will be hidden within the concealment pole, which is designed to create a stick-like effect to minimize its visibility. The plans feature additional site improvements such as a storage room in the building, a 174-square-foot equipment area on the roof and a natural gas generator.

The fire district is also allowing at least two cellular service providers access to the tower for two reasons: to allow emergency medical personnel to transmit medical data to hospitals in advance so immediate care can be given once ambulances arrive at the scene, and to provide better overall cellular coverage to the area. 

So far this year, the department’s volunteers have responded to nearly 1,300 emergency calls — and there have been communication hiccups, including an incident when firefighters at a scene could not reach the firehouse dispatcher to request backup and EMT support — despite being just a quarter-mile from headquarters.

“I understand that resident’s feeling because if this were built within 50 feet of my house, my first reaction would be ‘No way, I don’t want to see that,’ ” said Supervisor Tim Hubbard. “But when I look at the whole picture — I call [first responders] having a heart attack and I can’t get help to come here because I can’t get through to EMS — that far outweighs any concern I have about a tower that’s put up within 50 feet of my house.” 

Nicholas DiPirro, a Wading River resident since 1983, spoke in support of the communications tower and urged the crowd to think of the impact the structure would have on the community as a whole, not just on residences surrounding the firehouse. He recalled an incident years back where he advocated for more stop signs on a heavily trafficked road, which many neighbors were against — until a child died in a car accident in the area. 

“Everybody ran to me to sign that petition to have the stop signs installed,” he said. “Does someone have to die before this cell communications tower is approved? I hope not.” 

A memorandum of opposition to the project was filed on Nov. 18 with 25 Wading River residents listed — a majority of whom live near the firehouse. Their main concerns are the aesthetic impacts of the tower, such as the disruption to the community character, as well as how it may decrease their property values. 

The residents also worried about the potential health risks of being exposed to low intensity radio frequency or microwave radiation emitting from the structure. Many understand the need for better communication service in the area, but urged the Town Board to consider alternate locations for the tower. 

Certified letters were sent to St. John the Baptist Church, The Rock Golf Club and The Shoppes at East Wind inquiring about their interest in hosting the tower, but the town did not receive responses. 

“I feel like the sense is take one for the team,” said Joanne Romano of Wading River. “ I feel for everybody, but I don’t feel that I should take one for the team, I don’t feel like [Mr. Hubbard is] taking one for the team or this board is taking one for the team. If we’re going to take one for the team, why don’t we find money to make a better solution for this.” 

Several visibility studies and photographic simulations were conducted by the applicant to visually show the need for better service in the area, but Merrick-based attorney Andrew Campanelli, who is representing the opposed residents, called the documentation“garbage.” 

He argued that the applicant omitted the photographic perspective of the homes surrounding the proposed tower and noted the dangers of structural failures, ice and debris falling from the tower as well as potential risk of fire. 

He also stated that a more accurate way of pinpointing service gaps in the area would have been through a “drive test,” where an engineer tests the radio frequencies of wireless signals by driving around, collecting data through calls or other indicators and recording where the signal strength drops. 

“If you even wanted to conduct a Monroe Balancing Test — which you shouldn’t do — you’d have to weigh the benefit to the community against the adverse impacts that would be sustained by the community, the homeowners,” Mr. Campanelli said. “You have zero evidence in the record to establish that anyone would derive any benefit whatsoever in Riverhead or anywhere else if this 21-story tower is built 50 feet from someone’s home — it would be the most irresponsible decision I’ve seen by any board anywhere.” 

Following the meeting, Mr. Campanelli said that in talking with the residents he represents, he believes they are considering legal action. 

Mr. Rothwell said the idea of the communications tower has been in the works for more than four years and he emphasized that it has been a long and meticulous process to arrive at this final decision. 

“I just want people to understand when they read this resolution, we really haven’t skipped a beat or a step in any way,” the councilman said. “It has been looked at and overexamined in more detail from [the Planning Board office] than any other typical application that comes before us.”

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