COA NEWS – RETIREMENTS
The Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Officers Association proudly recognizes Deputy Chief Robert Nelson upon his retirement following 33½ years of distinguished service to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Chief Nelson’s career has been defined by operational leadership, specialized expertise, organizational service and an unwavering commitment to advancing the interests of the men and women of the LAFD.
His extensive career included leadership of the Department’s Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section and ultimately executive-level responsibility for Homeland Security and emergency preparedness. His responsibilities included disaster preparedness, CERT, Emergency Operations Center and Department Operations Center functions, Tactical EMS, grants management, and specialized CBRNE and Joint Hazard Assessment Team programs. He also brought decades of hazardous-materials experience and extensive involvement in complex, multi-agency and high-consequence incidents.
Chief Nelson promoted to Assistant Chief in 2017 and ultimately to Deputy Chief, completing more than three decades of increasingly responsible leadership within the Department.
His contribution, however, extended well beyond his Department assignments.
As President of the Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Officers Association, Chief Nelson dedicated considerable time and energy to representing the interests of the Department’s Chief Officers. His leadership included advocacy involving wages, benefits and working conditions, labor-management issues, and representation of the Association during important negotiations affecting its membership.
His service to COA represents an important part of his legacy: Chief Officers taking care of Chief Officers and strengthening the organization for those who follow.
The Chief Officers Association congratulates Deputy Chief Robert Nelson on an extraordinary 33½-year career and extends our sincere gratitude for his leadership, advocacy, institutional knowledge and decades of service.
Chief Nelson, congratulations on your retirement and thank you for everything you have given to the LAFD, the Chief Officers Association and the City of Los Angeles.
