Levittown residents Andrew Booth and John Rottkamp are running in this year's election for fire commissioner. Residents will have the opportunity to vote on Tuesday, Dec. 9 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Levittown Fire Department Headquarters, 120 Gardiners Avenue in Levittown.

There are five fire commissioners in the Levittown Fire District, and each year a new term is up. This year, Commissioner Tom Cuff (who is current chairman of the board) decided to not seek re-election after serving approximately 25 years as commissioner. Booth and Rottkamp each hope to fill the vacant seat.

Andrew Booth has been a member of the Levittown Fire Department for over 25 years. If elected commissioner, Booth said he will look out more for the taxpayers, which he feels is not currently being done effectively.

"I think it's time we headed in a direction for the taxpayers instead of for the individuals," Booth said. "They just went out and bought themselves a district vehicle - I don't know why commissioners need a vehicle. They can't even go to fires. I think that money could have been used to better serve the membership."

Booth noted that taxes have been raised for the past four years and that the Levittown Fire District has a $3 million budget.

"A lot of that money could be used better than it is," he said. "If it was all going to the membership, the full $3 million, then I'd agree with it 100 percent. But I think that they can cut their trips in half - some of the trips they go on are useless. The money should be used back in the district."

Having worked with budgets greater than that of the department, Booth said he believes he has the experience necessary to be fire commissioner.

"To be a good fire commissioner, you don't have to be a firefighter. You have to be a good leader [and] you have to know budgets," he said. Booth has been on the Budget Advisory Committee for the Levittown School District for the past few years. He added that he also worked on budgets when employed by the county jail.

As for the taxes in the district, Booth said he believes the department is heading in the "wrong direction.

"It's a disgrace to have a $3 million budget in Levittown. There's no answer for it. I have ideas as to how I can serve the community and cut taxes," he said, adding that equipment used by the department is of highest importance. "The equipment is no question, you need the best. You're out there protecting your mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters," he said. "Give your members the best equipment money can buy, and then cut out the waste."

Booth said that over the past 25 years as a member, he has brought a lot of positive things to the Levittown Fire Department. As captain, Booth was instrumental in bringing a 1,500 gallon pumper into the fire district. Noting that he received a lot of resistance at first, Booth said he worked with fellow members and eventually got the truck for the district.

"After getting out there and being diligent with the members of my company, we proved to the district that [it would be beneficial]. It took a lot of time and effort, but we got it," Booth said, adding that now, the whole department has the trucks. He noted that such experiences prove that he has the experience and knowledge as to what the department needs.

"I'm down there every weekend. I know exactly what's going on in the department," Booth said. "To go through the ranks and being captain and everything - you put a lot of dedicated time in there. I'm always down there - I'm always helping the young guys."

In 1990, Booth introduced a CPR program into the department, now one of the requirements to become a member.

"I convinced the board and the chief's office to let the members become certified as [CPR] instructors," he said. "Other departments spent big money to go outside and bring instructors in. So seven of us went to school, became certified and now we teach the department. Overall, it's saving a lot of money."

Booth, a veteran, has been long involved in several local organizations, including the Levittown Kiwanis Club, the Terrific Kids Program, the Levittown Property Owners Association (board of directors) and Levittown Chamber of Commerce (board of directors). Ten years ago, Booth organized an annual Thanksgiving dinner held to thank senior citizens in the community. In addition, he is on the Budget Advisory Committee for the Levittown School District, a member of Friends of the Library, participates in the Toys for Tots Program and is 1st vice commander of American Legion Post 1711. Booth was also chairman of the fire department training committee for six years.

In the late 1980s, he received a fireman of the year award for saving a woman's life in a house fire. He was also awarded by the Town of Hempstead in 1994 for outstanding community services.

Booth, a 27-year resident of Levittown, lives in the community with his wife Joyce. They are the parents of son Andrew and have two grandchildren.

John Rottkamp has been a member of the Levittown Fire Department for 20 years. Rottkamp is the current chief of the department. He went through the ranks, having served as lieutenant, captain, deputy chief and eventually chief, although the way in which he advanced to chief was rather emotional, as the department lost its chief, Ron Kerwin, on September 11, 2001. Rottkamp has been chief ever since and will step down from the position at the end of this year. He hopes to advance to the position of fire commissioner.

Rottkamp, who said being a firefighter is in his blood, believes he has the experience necessary to get the job done. As a deputy commissioner for the Town of Hempstead and an instructor at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy, he said he is familiar with all aspects of the job.

"I've spent more than half my life in the fire department, it's something I love," Rottkamp said. "I thought becoming fire commissioner is something I could do to continue my love for the fire department and I have the experience to do a good job."

Rottkamp has an extensive firematic background, including being a second deputy chief instructor at the Fire Service Academy for the past 11 years.

"During the winter months I teach indoor classroom training and then over the summer we have burn buildings," he explained. "We light them on fire, sit in the room and wait for the [trainees] to come in and put out the fire." Rottkamp explained that once the "fire" is extinguished, he and other instructors work with prospective firefighters to see what they did right and wrong. In addition to training the firefighters, he also sees the various equipment each department uses.

"The advantage of that is, as an instructor, you see the newest type of equipment that's out there." Rottkamp explained. Over the past 11 years, he has taught 71 departments in Nassau County. He noted that this has allowed him to see how different pieces of equipment work. He can then decide if a piece of equipment is something that could be beneficial to the Levittown Fire Department.

"It's a great asset because I have firsthand knowledge as to what's out there and how it works," he said. "It certainly is a great advantage."

As a deputy chief for the Town of Hempstead, Rottkamp said he pretty much does the job that he would do as fire commissioner, only on a larger scale.

"My department has one of the largest budgets in the town. You have to know how to hire people, how to work with those who fall under you [and] have to know about competitive bidding while keeping the residents in mind at all times," he said. "That's what I do for a living. I have that background, it's very similar [to what I'd do as fire commissioner] just on a smaller scale. Part of my job in the town is to figure out ways to help save money. That's what I would do for the fire district."

Rottkamp noted that in the fire district this year, the insurance costs went up 16 percent. He said that since such costs are unavoidable, the role of a fire commissioner is to come up with alternative ways to save money.

"You can't just give residents a 16 percent tax increase. We have to come up with ways to prioritize and figure out creative alternatives to save taxpayer money. We always keep in mind the residents of the fire district," he said.

In the history of the Levittown Fire Department, Rottkamp is only the 30th person to become chief, a fact he takes great pride in. He is a member of the Levittown Kiwanis Club, was a manager for the Levittown Athletic Club last summer, is a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus - Holy Innocents Council 3581 and an active parishioner at St. Bernard's Church. A lifelong resident of Levittown, Rottkamp went through the public school system, graduating from Division Avenue High School. He met his wife Susan in the community, as she went to MacArthur High School.

"When we got engaged, we decided we wanted to live in Levittown. We love this community and wanted to raise our family here," he said. "I love Levittown and I love the fire department. I want to continue my service to the community."

If elected, Rottkamp would step down as chief at midnight on Dec. 31 and become commissioner on Jan. 1.

Rottkamp and his wife Susan live in Levittown and have three children: Kaitlin, Ashley and John.