Local fire chief returns after being deployed in Romania

IDAHO FALLS — Family members and Idaho Falls firefighters rallied as one of their own returned home Wednesday after he served a year-long deployment overseas.

Deputy Chief and Idaho Army National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Duane Nelson was among select Aircraft Rescue Firefighting specialists called to support the operational mission.

“As part of the citizen soldier, you’re working in the National Guard (and) you do your daily civilian job,” Nelson said. “But a weekend a month and a couple weeks a summer you do your military duty. You have the possibility of being called up or deployed to areas of the world that need your help.”

Nelson left Idaho Falls last June to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta, Romania. He served in Romania for nine months and then Bulgaria.

Nelson said one of his most memorable moments while serving was sitting down with fire chiefs in Bulgaria.

“Once they became part of the European Union, their fire service changed a lot. They went from older equipment with more of a military background to more of a civilian (background), what we recognize here in the states,” Nelson said.

Nelson, who was a fire chief in the guard unit, said his knowledge and skills crossed over to his duties overseas.

“Being able to use those skills – sitting down with chiefs in another country doing that same job – was pretty memorable,” Nelson said.

Nelson said he appreciated the city and department’s understanding as he went to fulfill his military duties. He kept in touch with the Idaho Falls Fire Department while he was gone.

“I was able to Skype into different meetings that were with the staff (and) participate in the budget for next year. Some of those things I was still able to do while I was overseas,” Nelson said.

Nelson, who’s been with the department since 1997, is working on transitioning back to his original job duties as a deputy fire chief. He’s currently still on call with the National Guard and will be spending some time with his family before going back to work full-time.

“It’s great to be back with family and friends. It’s good to be back in the fire department. I helped build this station the year before I left, and it’s fun to see it working and everybody enjoying it,” Nelson said.