Tulsa Fire Department

Recently, KWTV - NEWS 9 in Oklahoma City shared the story of Tulsa Firefighter Jon Orange and Oklahoma City Firefighter Shane Williams. Sixteen years ago, Shane responded to a serious rollover crash involving a young driver named Jon. Despite significant injuries, Jon recovered and eventually decided to pursue a career in the fire service.

Today, Jon serves the citizens of Tulsa as a firefighter with the Tulsa Fire Department.

It’s a great reminder that the impact of our profession often extends far beyond the emergency itself. While firefighters rarely get to see the long-term outcome of the people we help, stories like this show how a single call can influence a life in ways we never expect.

We’re proud to have Firefighter Orange on our department and thankful for the positive impact he continues to make in our community.

Oklahoma firefighters reunite 16 years after crash that changed each other's lives A 16-year-old rollover crash rescue brings two Oklahoma firefighters together, as the survivor credits the life-saving response for inspiring his career in emergency services.

Today, we celebrate the retirement of Lieutenant Eric Carter, who officially concludes more than 25 years of service with the Tulsa Fire Department.

Eric began his career on April 1, 2001, and has spent the last quarter-century serving the citizens of Tulsa with dedication, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to helping others.

Anyone who has worked with Carter knows he is truly one of a kind. He’s the type of person who would do anything for someone else, but never wanted anyone doing anything for him. He is known for quietly taking care of others, helping younger firefighters and always showing up when someone needed a hand.

Whether he was smoking meat for a church conference he didn’t even attend, cooking meals for firefighters across multiple stations, making birthday cakes for friends, or sharing his famous Christmas pizzelles throughout the district, Carter’s generosity became part of his legacy. He has a gift for making people feel valued and cared for.

He was also known as Station 30’s athlete, dominating co****le and washers competitions, and for being one of the best storytellers around. If he started laughing before he got to the punchline, everyone knew they were about to hear a good one. His stories, humor, and trademark sly smile made every shift better and every firehouse feel more like home.

As a firefighter and lieutenant, Carter earned the respect of those around him through hard work, leadership, and genuine compassion for the citizens of Tulsa. He worked tirelessly throughout his career and always led by example.

More than anything, Eric Carter leaves behind a reputation as a great firefighter, a trusted leader, a loyal friend, and a man with an exceptionally big heart.

Lieutenant Carter, thank you for 25 years of service, sacrifice, laughter, stories, smoked meat, pizzelles, and friendship. Your impact on this department will not be forgotten.

Congratulations on your retirement. We wish you and your family the very best in the years ahead.

Today, we gathered at Station 6 to celebrate Firefighter Abren Williams who will officially retire tomorrow from the Tulsa Fire Department after more than 25 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Tulsa.

Abren began his career on April 1, 2001, and will conclude his service on May 31, 2026. During his career, he proudly served on Ladder 32 C Platoon, Engine 14 C Platoon, Ladder 4 C Platoon, Ladder 20 B Platoon, the HazMat Pool, and HazMat A Platoon.

Abren has always been known for his positive attitude, his willingness to visit with anyone, and the smile he carried with him throughout his career. He never met a stranger and built lasting friendships with firefighters and citizens alike. Whether around the station table, on an emergency scene, or out in the community, Abren genuinely enjoyed connecting with people.

His coworkers describe him as compassionate, hardworking, and dedicated to serving others. He cared deeply for the citizens of Tulsa and consistently brought professionalism and kindness to every assignment.

Many of his friends joke that Abren spent the last few years crawling toward retirement. But behind the jokes is a tremendous amount of determination. Through injuries, setbacks, and challenges that would have convinced many to step away, Abren never lost sight of his goal. His perseverance and commitment to reaching 25 years of service earned the respect of everyone who worked alongside him.

Whether he was serving on a ladder company, responding as a HazMat technician, or watching an old western while spending time around the station, Abren left a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to know him.

The Tulsa Fire Department thanks Firefighter Abren Williams for his 25 years of dedicated service, friendship, and commitment to this community. We wish him and his family nothing but the best in retirement.

Congratulations on a well-earned retirement, Abren.

Today, A Platoon boat crews from Stations 4, 5, and 29 participated in specialized boat training at the Tulsa Wave Park alongside members of Oklahoma Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 1. TX-TF1 members traveled from El Paso and Bryant, Texas, to train with our crews.

Training opportunities like this help sharpen critical water rescue skills in a challenging environment that better prepares our members for real-world emergencies.

Today’s training was led by Oklahoma Task Force 1 Rescue Coordinator Captain Matt Bell, OK-TF1 member Lieutenant Ryan Stephens, and OK-TF1 member and Grand River Dam Authority Lieutenant Paul Mader, whose experience and instruction provided valuable hands-on learning opportunities for everyone involved.

As always, we are extremely grateful to River Parks Authority for allowing us access to the wave park. Having the opportunity to train in moving water conditions provides invaluable experience for our firefighters and task force personnel. OK-TF1-Tulsa

Step inside Tulsa fire history during the Route 66 Capital Cruise!

The Tulsa Fire Museum is opening the doors of Tulsa’s historic Fire Alarm Building on Saturday, May 30, from 10 AM – 4 PM for a special community open house and cookout.

Located just minutes from the Capital Cruise parade route, visitors can:

🔥 Tour portions of the historic Fire Alarm Building
🚒 Check out touch-a-truck opportunities
📜 View Tulsa Fire Department artifacts and preservation projects
🍔 Enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, and root beer floats
🏛 Learn about the Museum’s future plans and preservation efforts

Originally built as Tulsa’s central fire alarm headquarters, this nearly 100-year-old Art Deco landmark played a vital role in Tulsa’s emergency communications history and continues to be preserved for future generations.

Bring the family, enjoy the Route 66 festivities, and experience a unique piece of Tulsa history.

Tulsa Fire Museum
1010 E. 8th Street
Saturday, May 30, 2026
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Special thanks to community partners Tulsa Firefighters Credit Union and MISSION BBQ for helping make this event possible.