Voters heard from several candidates vying for Onset Fire District offices at a candidates' night on Thursday hosted by the Onset Protective League.

The Onset Fire District operates the Onset Fire Department and the water department for the village of Onset. Residents pay a district tax to cover the expenses of those departments.

Marcine Fernandes is running for re-election to the Prudential Committee, which oversees the finances of the district. The race is uncontested. She will begin her second, full three-year on the committee. She was first elected to finish one year of a previous committee member's term.

Fernandes said she initially ran for the committee because she cares about the community.

"We work hard to do what we need to do for the community," Fernandes said.

Fernandes said the committee continually works to keep taxes down, which "[We've] been lucky enough to be able to do," she said. The committee is also working to build a stabilization fund to put money aside for unexpected expenses.

The candidates' night was also attended by three of the four candidates for the position of First Assistant Engineer.  Jeffrey Dias, William Ellis, Michael Hodge, and Robert Maxim are all running in the election's only contested race. Maxim did not attend candidates' night.

The First Assistant Engineer is the second-in-command at the fire department under the fire chief. The position is currently held by Gene Crocker, who is retiring.

Dias, a full-time Onset firefighter, cited the extensive number of training hours that he has completed in the 12 years he has worked as a firefighter as the reason he is most qualified for the position. He has completed more than 900 hours in 31 courses of training, he said.

"I may not have the most years of service ... but the question shouldn't be about how many years you have as a firefighter but what have you accomplished in those years?"

Dias was an on-call lieutenant until 2005, when he became a full-time firefighter. He also served as a sergeant in the Army.

Dias said his service as a sergeant is similar to what would be required of him as the First Assistant Engineer. "Lead your people, accomplish the mission, and get them home safely."

Ellis noted his 27 years as a firefighter and six years of experience as the elected Second Assistant Engineer as reasons he is best qualified for the job.

He performed vehicle maintenance, payroll, and administrative duties while Second Assistant Engineer. He is a certified diver, helped put together the station's dive team, and has completed hundreds of hours of training for the firefighting and Second Assistant Engineer positions, he said.

"I am honest, dedicated, qualified, with experience as Second Assistant Engineer for six years," Ellis said. "I always worked for the best interests of the Onset Fire District and will continue to give 110 percent as I did when I was Second Assistant Engineer."

Hodge spoke of his experience as a long-time firefighter and EMT. He was hired as a full-time firefighter in Bourne in 1976 and retired last year. He has worked with Onset Fire Department for 22 months, he said. He's been an EMT since 1977 and has worked with Wareham EMS since January.

"Every type of training I've had, I've done on-duty," Hodge said. "I've gone to hundreds of fires, EMS calls, car accidents."

Hodge said he is running for First Assistant Engineer because he is ready to be the person helping to manage fires from outside the building. "I've always been a firefighter going in the building. I never wanted to stay outside," he said. "I've aged a little bit, and now it's time to run the fire from the outside, not the inside."

Incumbent Brian O'Hearne is running for the position of Water Commissioner, though he was not present at candidates' night. The position of moderator is also open, though there is no candidate running for the position.

WCTV will air a recording of the Onset Fire District candidates' night on Friday, May 14, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. WCTV is Verizon channel 29 and Comcast channel 95.

The Onset Fire District annual meeting will be held on Monday, May 17, at the Dudley Brown V.F.W. post beginning at 7:30 p.m. The election will be held on Tuesday, May 18, at the same location from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.