Ryder Wins Nyack Fire Commissioner Election

UPDATE - Ted Ryder won re-election Tuesday as a commissioner for the Nyack Joint Fire District.

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Today, there will be an election for district commissioner of the Nyack Joint Fire District is Dec. 11 from 3 – 9 p.m. Voters within the Nyack Joint Fire Districts may vote, which includes the three villages (South Nyack, Nyack, Upper Nyack) and the hamlet of Upper Grandview.

• If you live south of Main Street, you vote at Depew Manor Community Center,
• If you live north of Main Street, you vote at Central Station Fire House at Park Street.

Incumbent Ted Ryder is up for re-election and Frank Jewett is the challenger.

There are five commissioners and each one runs for a 5-year term. Their terms are staggered so that there is an election every year. 

Ryder was endorsed by the current Chiefs and former Chiefs listed in this Nyack Patch announcement. 

"I’ve been the commissioner since 2004. The reason why I did it was to ensure that both the firemen and the taxpayers get what they deserve, which is top-quality service but at the same time, be realistic with the money," said Ryder. "We’re responsible for the taxpayers and we have to be accountable to them. We’ve been so far and I want to continue that so that’s why I’m running for re-election."

Ryder added that he's been a fireman for 36 years.

Jewett said he's been involved with the fire district and fire safety for more than 30 years. He's currently a New York State fire instructor at the fire training center in Pomona. 

"I think that there are opportunities for the district that they may not be taking at the moment and I have an expertise that some other people may not have. Ted’s a good guy. I’ve known him for a long time, but sometimes, different views get different things done," said Jewett. "There are things that I see that could be improved and with my expertise, I think I can help them do that." 

He added that he feels that with his current position as a fire instructor, he has a "pretty good grasp of the managerial end of how to run fire districts."

"I do a lot of training, a lot of helping fire instructors and fire officers do better at their job through training in leadership management, speaking skills and (other such skills). I teach firemen how to be firemen," he said. "I also know how to be a good fireman. I’ve been around 30+ years. Also, I run a business that covers the northeast for a national building material company. I’m very familiar with budgets and quotas, and staying within budget and what can you do with the budget you have."