Of Oklahoma’s fire departments, around 81% are fully volunteer, primarily because many towns can’t afford full-time staff. Volunteer-heavy departments are more common in rural areas where wildfires often ignite.
Tuttle originally had an all-volunteer fire department that has gradually transitioned into a combo of full-time staff and volunteers. A Tuttle native whose family is from the area, Lonnie Paxton stepped into his uncle’s volunteer firefighter shoes 35 years ago, and says for many, they may average 30 or 40 calls a month, sometimes multiple in the same day – especially during grass fire season.
“In smaller towns, firefighters are usually responding to people they know,” Paxton says. “It’s comforting that it’s someone they know and can talk to, so it gives you that connection while they’re in a bad situation. It gives me a sense
of satisfaction that I’m helping somebody out.”
Paxton admits that some incidents weigh heavy on him, but that “there are days when you’ve made life easier on somebody. A big grass fire was coming across a pasture. We were able to get there with the resources and we saved their home.”
Jenks Fire Rescue Chief Greg Ostrum says Jenks has a combination department, with a corps of volunteers supplementing a full-time staff.
“This gives us a hiring pool for any full-time openings we have. Our volunteers are primarily younger men and women who want to become full-time firefighters, or are exploring options and ways to use skills they have acquired, like an EMT license,” says Ostrum. “Required to work at least 24 hours each month, they experience all of the job aspects.”
Paxton, who is also a business owner, adds: “Rural fire departments absolutely face recruitment challenges. It’s hard to find volunteers with the ability to take off work when the fire department needs them.”
But Paxton says in smaller towns, “you know people in the community, and if you have the opportunity, you want to volunteer in some way, to give back. Volunteerism is built into a lot of family dynamics, and also, a lot of fire departments have multiple generations of families who volunteer.”
After 35 years answering calls, Paxton is handing off the proverbial fire hose to a third generation.
“My 24-year-old son works the farm and is in the business sector, but he is already a Tuttle volunteer firefighter,”
he says.
Becoming a Volunteer Firefighter
Paxton says each individual fire department has its own requirements and criteria for volunteers, along with its own hiring protocol, with departments training their volunteers. Multiple departments often team up for training opportunities.
“As far as training, we require the same level of training for volunteers as full-time,” says Ostrum. “They have the opportunity to become firefighter 1 and 2 certified, EMT, HazMat, Swift Water, Ropes, and Confined Space, to name a few. The requirements for these certifications are set by Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training.”
Those interested may visit the city’s website, jenks.com, and fill out a volunteer interest form under the Fire Department Information. Applications must be 18 or older with a current state driver’s license and should be prepared to take a physical agility test.
