By FireRescue1 Staff
BETHEL TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A fire chief returned home this week after spending 16 months serving with NATO forces.
Bethel Township Fire Chief Jacob King worked as the senior fire and disaster response advisor to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior in Afghanistan.
“I missed my family terribly ... my wife, Heather, and our kids ... sixteen months is a long time to be away from your loved ones,” Chief King told New Carlisle News. “I also missed the things we take for granted in America.”
As part of his work, Chief King was in charge of NATO firefighters from 23 different nations. He said language barriers and different firefighting practices were obstacles he had to overcome. Chief King helped train over 600 personnel to fight fires on multiple bases in Afghanistan.
“Everyone does firefighting differently and it’s interesting to see how practices differ throughout the world,” Chief King said. “But, without a doubt, the U.S. [firefighting] practices are the best there are in the world.”
Chief King was awarded the U.S. Civilian Service Commendation Medal, which recognizes civilian personnel for their commendable service or achievement. The award also mentioned how Chief King led a team of first responders to recover seven foreign nationals from a crashed aircraft.
Upon returning home, Chief King said he was glad to be back, and looks forward to spending time with his family and returning to his station.