Fire Chief Tim Nelson Announces Retirement

Source: amherstma.gov

Amherst Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson announced his retirement from the Town of Amherst effective June 30, 2024. Nelson has served as the town’s Fire Chief since 2009.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman stated, “Fire Chief Nelson has been a firefighter for over forty years and provided strong leadership to the Amherst Fire Department for over a decade. He has ensured that the community has received the highest level of fire and emergency medical service throughout his tenure.  More than that, however, Tim is a recognized leader in the wider community projecting a moral authority few achieve.”

In his letter to Bockelman, Nelson shared his fire safety origin story: “On December 6^th, 1981, a skinny kid with a lot of hair walked into the Holyoke Fire Department Headquarters for the first time.  I was given a mop and directed to the second floor to start mopping.  After seeing Captain Stanley Sadikerski pushing a broom, this new kid realized that it wasn’t “people” from the outside who kept the firehouse clean but we firefighters who lived there. An hour after I walked in the door, I knew the fire service was where I belonged.” 

Nelson displays leadership through service. Bockelman noted, “Tim is always there to help non-profits achieve their missions, whether it be serving on a board or being a judge at a fund-raising event. Most recently, Tim provided crucial support in the creation and development of the new, ground-breaking Department of Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service (CRESS).”

Lynn Griesemer, Town Council President, added, “When Chief Nelson, known to all of us a Tim, joined the Amherst Fire Department, we gained an immensely treasured and valued member of our Team. First working with Tim while chairing the DPW/Fire Advisory Committee, I gained insight into his significant knowledge of Fire and EMS services; his priority for the safety of our residents and staff; and his commitment to excellent service.  Over the past 15 years, Tim has educated all of us, reaffirming that our Fire/EMS Department staff are simply the best, and have that Amherst has benefitted from his leadership.”

Nelson always made time to speak with the elementary school children as they wrapped up their fire safety studies. He would accompany the instructional fire safety trailer as it traveled from Crocker Farm Elementary to Fort River Elementary and on to Wildwood Elementary School. His dedication to fire safety education culminated in a district-wide assembly with awards for the young students at the end of the unit. Nelson’s willingness to teach and mentor extended to the inclusion of student firefighters from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleges. He embraced the academic small-town setting that is Amherst.

Bockelman concluded, “The room lights up when Tim walks in. He exudes positivity and brings a relentless sense of optimism and a can-do attitude to every challenge. I admire Tim’s dedication to his family, the backbone of who he is. He has impeccable values maintaining a high level of integrity and a strong commitment to doing the right thing. The Town will miss having Tim Nelson as a leader. But I know he will always be there when we need him.”

In addition to his job as Fire Chief for the Town of Amherst, Nelson serves in the Civil Air Patrol Massachusetts Wing.   Since 1991 Nelson has flown aircraft, maintained planes, supported emergency management teams, assisted with search and rescue operations, taken disaster photos, conducted damage assessments, and taught many people the safe way to fly a plane. He earned the rank of Colonel, Wing Commander.

The Town Manager invites the community to join in a celebration of Chief Nelson’s tenure at the end of June.  Look for retirement party details on the town website: www.amherstma.gov

The search for a new Fire Chief will begin immediately.