Monticello, NY – Sixty-one years into fighting fires, you’d think Nelson Durland would take a break from the active roster of his beloved Hurleyville Volunteer Fire Department.
Not a chance.
“I still answer daytime fire calls,” the 79-year-old affirms, the deep sense of pride and obligation so very evident in his eyes. “I have a desire to try to always keep going in the right direction.”
That direction has always been aimed toward his community – not just Hurleyville, but Sullivan County and the Hudson Valley. It’s a lifelong commitment that today earned him the Sullivan County Legislature’s Distinguished Citizen Award.
“Nelson Durland is a legend in the fire service throughout Sullivan County, and I am in awe of him as a fellow firefighter,” says Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez, a Liberty firefighter. “Few have reached his length of service, and even fewer have kept going as passionately and reliably as he does.”
“I really enjoy it,” Nelson relates matter-of-factly. “I joined the fire department in 1957, where my grandfather and father also served.”
In those days, “we just grabbed a hose and ran,” he recalls – often with no more than a raincoat, boots and a helmet for protection.
Yet departments had a larger supply of members then, and that vexes Nelson.
“I’d say about 20% of the fire departments in the County are doing well with young recruits,” he estimates. “The rest of them are just hanging on, doing the best they can with what they have.”
Nelson has long been a role model to younger generations, not only in firefighting but in leadership. Indeed, his proudest moments were being elected chief of the Hurleyville FD and named president of the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association.
In fact, he’s held some sort of office in every organization in which he’s been involved – and there are plenty: Town of Fallsburg Fire Chiefs Association, Sullivan County Fire Advisory Board, Sullivan County Arson Task Force (charter member), Loch Sheldrake Fire District Board of Commissioners, Firefighters Association of the State of New York, Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters Association (overseeing multiple annual parades), the Eastern Sullivan Fireman’s Softball League, Hudson Valley Royal Order of the Red Vests, the Liberty Presbyterian Church, the Liberty Lodge No. 521 of Free & Accepted Masons, the Liberty Elks Lodge, and the local chapter of AmVets.
Since 1995, he’s hosted West Point cadets at his and wife Joan’s home for a meal and relaxing afternoon, where they’re treated to his “parlor” – a room full of awards, plaques and numerous references to Army-Navy games (Nelson served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1957-1964). A few years back, he was honored at one of those games for his hospitality to the cadets.
He also maintains the Doris Durland Playground (named after his mother) at the Hurleyville Firehouse.
“Nelson loves where he lives more than anyone I know, and he’s given his whole life to serving his hometown and home County,” notes District 7 Legislator Joe Perrello, in whose district Nelson and Joan reside. “He represents the kind of citizen you want as a neighbor, as a friend, and as a leader, and I am proud to recognize him with our Distinguished Citizen Award.”
Nelson retired in 1995 from nearly 30 years with the Sullivan County Department of Social Services, assisting more than 1,000 citizens every year, first as a caseworker and ultimately as supervisor of Adult Protective Services.
These days, his chief love is getting together with his firefighting crew, new and old.
“It’s always great to go to the meetings and see everybody,” he acknowledges. “I have a lot of respect for firefighters, here and across the state.”