PERRY – Earl Nelson, who has been a captain with the Perry Fire Department for more than a decade, has been named interim chief to lead the department.
The 44-year-old native of Perry has been with the department for 14 years.
Nelson said Wednesday that he is looking forward to working to keep the fire department moving in a progressive manner, watching the direction the community is taking and serving its needs as Perry continues to grow.
“The entire city is growing fast,” Nelson said.
The son of Betty and Jarrett Nelson, he attended The Westfield Schools and graduated from Perry High School in 1978.
He worked with his father, who owned a service station on Sam Nunn Boulevard, for a while, then went to work at the former Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Main Street in 1981.
He was co-manager of that business when he decided to make a career switch in 1990 to follow his dream of being a full-time firefighter.
That dream came to life after attending a meeting for volunteer firefighters at the county’s Lake Joy fire station in 1982.
“That is when I knew I had been called to serve in the fire service,” Nelson said. “I knew that this is what I wanted to do.”
For several years, he answered calls as a county fire department volunteer.
In 1990, he became a full-time firefighter with the Perry Fire Department.
Four years later, he was promoted to sergeant. When Standard Operating Guidelines regarding ranks of firefighters were changed in the mid-1990s, shift commander Nelson’s rank was automatically switched to captain.
Meanwhile, he also took on duties as a training officer for the department, keeping firefighters up-to-date on the newest rescue techniques and honing their skills dealing with live fires and medical assist and rescue calls.
Nelson has become a well-respected training officer and is currently an instructor for the Central Georgia Search and Rescue (GSAR) team which was born in light of 9/11.
As a GSAR instructor he trains firefighters for specialized operations such as dealing with hazardous materials, high angle rescues, confined space rescue and building collapse rescue.
Nelson speaks with pride about the Perry Fire Department.
“I have worked with these guys for years,” he said. “I respect all of their abilities as a firefighter and I hope they respect my responsibility as fire chief.”
“I am proud of them,” he added. “They do a lot for this community.”
Nelson said his parents have played an important part in his life, giving him sound advice and support.
“I took my parents’ advice to be honest and work hard,” Nelson said.
His brother, Wayne, a volunteer with Perry Fire, is also a big supporter as well as his uncle, Joe Batchelor, who is retired from the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Nelson is married to Wendy, who works in the office of Houston County Superior Court Judge Ed Lukemire. They have a 10-year-old son, Cody, and are members of Houston Lake Baptist Church.
Nelson is a member of the Georgia State Firefighters Association and, as a certified arson investigator, is a member of the Georgia Fire Investigators Association.
He said he credits retiring Fire Chief Gary Hamlin for what he has learned about the fire service.
“Chief Hamlin trained me. That is why I will be able to do this job,” he said.
Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour said he picked Nelson to serve as interim chief because of his status of training officer.
Gilmour said all three captains at the department are capable but he feels Nelson was the “logical choice” because of his experience with training.
“I think Earl was the best choice for this job,” said Danny Evans, a former training officer with Perry Fire Department. “With his training and background I believe he can be a good leader now and for the future, especially with all the growth Perry will be experiencing.”
Evans said he has worked with interim Fire Chief Nelson in the past.
“We worked together a long time,” he remembers. “Earl has always handled emergency scenes well, and I think he’ll make a good chief.”
The announcement of Nelson being named interim chief comes after Hamlin’s resignation. Hamlin is retiring after more than 20 years of service with the city of Perry.
Hamlin will be pursuing a life-long dream of photography in the auto racing industry, working with Motorsports Weekly, a weekly publication that covers racing events throughout the southeastern United States.
