Brentwood firefighter Rasheen 'Roc' Williams is district's first Afro-Latino commissioner in 125 years

Rasheen “Roc” Williams first entered the Brentwood fire house on a dare.

He was around 19, he recalls, and he was walking past the building with his cousins. After wondering aloud what the structure was for, they dared him to walk in.

A dispatcher handed him an application to volunteer, and now, more than two decades later, Williams is the newly elected commissioner of the Brentwood Fire District — the first Afro-Latino commissioner to head the district in its 125-year history. 

That milestone is “humbling,” said Williams, 45, of Brentwood, who also works as a mechanic for the Bay Shore Fire District. “But I didn’t run for that … I ran to do right by my community." 

William King Moss III, NAACP Islip Town branch president, highlighted the importance of representation in government, “especially to African Americans who have a history of being excluded from representative government, systematically and quite purposefully.

“Since the inception of the department in the district, there has been no African American reflected in the elective office of fire commissioner," Moss added. "It’s a big deal when it takes 125 years to do anything." 

Eric Raudies, chairman of the Brentwood board of fire commissioners, said Williams is a “great asset” to the community, and that he “broke a barrier” in Brentwood, which is 72.9% Hispanic or Latino and 15.8% Black or African American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

He anticipates working with Williams on ongoing projects within the district, including a new substation on Howells Road in Baywood.

Williams, who is of Puerto Rican and African American heritage, won the race for commissioner, which is a volunteer position, in December by an overwhelming majority against two challengers and an incumbent with 55% of votes counted. The runner-up received 17% of votes. 

Williams, who was sworn in Jan. 2, ran for the position after his doctor told him he could no longer fight fires due to health issues.

The new commissioner, who has volunteered for the department for 25 years, recalls his first blaze as one of the most important in his firefighting career. He was just eight months in at the time, still on probation, when he was called to a basement fire. 

"It stood out to me because it's one of the most dangerous fires you can have," he said. "At that time, my captain was very happy with me. He was like, 'You're going to be a great firefighter.' "

That captain, Thomas Waldron, of East Islip, said some volunteers quit after their first fire — but not Williams.

"He's definitely a die-hard company guy. He wants the department and the company to do well," said Waldron, 53, a former chief and a volunteer with the district for 34 years. 

Williams doesn’t have any plans to shake things up during his tenure. The first year, he said, is a learning period.

“Basically, it’s my probation period again. I need to learn the trade of being a fire commissioner,” he said. 

He said he encourages more people to join as volunteers. Williams estimated there are currently about 186 volunteers with the fire district.

"Come down," he said. "Once you earn your shield, it's the best joy you're ever going to get."

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers personal finance and affordability for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.