Support John Gillen for Wantagh Fire Commissioner: Letter to the Editor

My name is John Gillen. I am a 30-year active member of the Wantagh Fire Department. I am also a retired detective squad commander for the NYPD.

I am a current commissioner with the Wantagh Fire District and have been for the past 10 years. In my 30 years with the department, I have been:

• Chief of Department, Captain (4 years) and Lieutenant (2 years)
• Seven-year member of the Nassau County Fire Commission
• Current member of the Nassau County Firematic Awards committee
• Chairman of the 6th Battalion Delegates to the Nassau County Fire Commission
• Chairman of the 6th Battalion Chiefs
• Hazardous Materials Technician
• Emergency Medical Technician

As commissioner of the Wantagh Fire District for the past 10 years, I have overseen the research and purchasing of apparatus and equipment. I was first elected in 2007. My proudest accomplishment was immediately initiating a program where the district began the arduous and time-consuming process of writing our own specifications for apparatus and equipment. The old process was to let the manufacturer write the specifications. That did not provide any competition and was cause for exorbitant pricing. Our process invites competition and saves the taxpayers money. It has saved the taxpayers more than $700,00 since it was developed.

We have renovated (greened up) our existing structures, many of which are more than 50 years old. We have done this in the face of many unfunded state mandates, causing us to tighten our belts. The Wantagh Board of Fire Commissioners does not burden the taxpayers with bond issues. We carefully budget to allocate for only necessary equipment and daily expenses. I am proud to say we are very conscientious about our budget and do our best to stay within allocated funding.

I fully understand what it means to act as a team and have done so in my NYPD career, my 30 years as a firefighter and certainly in the last 10 years as commissioner. I always accept full responsibility for my actions and recommendations, and convey answers to any questions that arise to keep taxpayers and members in the loop. This creates trust and understanding. Working as a team, with open-door concepts and welcoming other’s opinions, is the cornerstone of a good organization.

Experience is a high priority in considering a candidate. Please consider my experience and compare when considering your vote on Dec. 13.

I will continue to my lifelong commitment to the public and its safety as well as the safety and well being of our cherished volunteer firefighters and medics.

Thank you for your consideration.