WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — For the first time in its history, the Oak Grove Fire Department has full-time firefighters.
For the last 8 years, Oak Grove Fire Chief Riley Shepherd has been with the department.
He started as a volunteer firefighter and now he’s a full-time chief.
WATCH: ‘Big step forward for Oak Grove’: Department hires first full-time firefighters
“It’s a big step forward for Oak Grove,” said Chief Riley Shepherd.
He’s not the only one. Apparatus Operator Sara Wofford worked her way up from a junior firefighter to a full-time job.
July 21 marks the start of week 2 for the pair.
"It's only going to get better from here,” said Chief Shepherd.
Since its inception in 1994, Oak Grove has been a rural volunteer fire department serving an area of more than 30 square miles.
2 News told you when voters approved a change in March, annexing a part of Broken Arrow, which expanded the department’s coverage area.
Previous Coverage >>> Quicker response times expected after Oak Grove Fire expansion
Chief Riley says they’re responding to an extra 3,300 parcels with an expected increase of nearly $1 million to their budget.
"That allows us to hire and pay full-time firefighters, so it's good for us and good for the citizens down there,” said Chief Riley.
Melissa Oettel used to be a volunteer firefighter in Colorado, so she knows what it means for response times to be effective.
"It would take us a couple of minutes to respond to the fire department and then a few minutes to respond to the actual emergency, so this is better,” said Melissa Oettel.
2 News first met Oettel in March shortly after the department announced some of its members would be full-time.
"I think it'll be great for the community and for us,” said Oettel.
Chief Shepherd says it should speed up response times, especially when they get a third home base. The fire department plans to build a new fire station on 71st between 289th and 305th. It’s closer to the new homes they’re now responsible for protecting.
"Just knowing that we're here, dedicated, just waiting on a call probably makes them feel pretty good,” said Chief Shepherd.
Currently, the Oak Grove Fire Department has 35 volunteers and 2 full-time positions. By next summer, they plan to have 5 more full-time spots and hope those numbers will continue to grow.
In 2024, the department responded to just under 600 calls. They’re on track to respond to nearly 1,000 calls this year.
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