Last year, Duncan oversaw his department's move from a temporary fire-station to a brand new one.

The fire chief, who worked at the Sacramento City Fire Department, came to Saratoga when the local fire department was looking for an assistant fire chief.

"I went from a department of 500 to a station of 29 people," he said. But the fire chief said that the move wasn't a culture shock for him. "I had prepared for this kind of a move for a long time," he said.

Duncan said that he might work at the Saratoga Fire Department for a few more months in a temporary position. "The fire commissioners will decide on that," he said.

The Saratoga Fire Department has been negotiating a functional merger with the Santa Clara County Fire Department for close to a year now. Once the department signs the contract, the county fire chief will function as Saratoga's fire chief also. Duncan said that he expected the contract to be signed in the next few months.

"We should have everything wrapped up by the end of March," he said.

Saratoga surprised Duncan when he first moved to the city.

"I was amazed to find a huge amount of interaction between citizens and local politicians," he said.

Duncan said that he was proud that he had been able to forge a working relationship between the city council and the fire department. "When I first came here, the only relationship they had was controversy."

Duncan said that he had a quiet but professionally enriching time while he worked in Saratoga.

"There have only been six fires in Saratoga since I have been here. It is almost like semi-retirement when it comes to fire calls," said Duncan.

He said that there was a need to keep people trained and their skills honed in a quiet environment like Saratoga.

"They do not have exposure. I am glad they do not have that kind of exposure. You do not want to be dealing with death and destruction all the time," he said.

Duncan became interested in becoming a firefighter at age 16 when he ran into a fire captain. "He took an interest in getting people to join the service."

He served in the Navy for six years between 1968 and 1974 and was sent to Vietnam three times.

In March, 1974, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. "The doctors told me that they would be surprised if I lived for two more years. I have lived 30 more," he said.

Duncan worked at the Sacramento City Fire Department for 24 years from 1978 to 2001.

Once he retires, Duncan and his wife will live in Oak Grove near Sacramento. "I have four daughters and they all live in that area," he said.