Dear Residents of Forest Park,

Spring is here and Summer is near with all its beauty and some challenges as well. 

Tornado season is just getting started and we have already been tested!  The fire department calls in extra personnel for standby during these events and I am glad to be able to say that our outdoor warning sirens have been tested regularly and they work well. Please be "weather aware" and if the sirens are sounded, immediately take shelter and seek information. The fire department has asked residents to provide us with updated or new information on storm shelter locations this spring/summer. If you have a shelter, or planning to purchase one, please let us know. 

The Fire Department will be interviewing prospective applicants soon. We are working with the Spencer Fire Department on our ongoing "Professional Development Program" for our firefighters. This program greatly enhances our ability to recruit and retain volunteers and gives our volunteers many more opportunities to learn, network and grow professionally. They will be able to work with Spencer's full-time staff and be mentored in ways that will help them get full-time jobs in the fire service, all while being available to respond to our calls. It's a win-win situation! I am going to meet with some of the faculty at the Choctaw Fire Training Academy to discuss their improved internship program. 

I am also working on Forest Park's license renewal for the State of Oklahoma "Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Response Agency" license from the State Department of Health. We remain compliant with their challenging requirements. We are also in the process of reviewing, amending, and adopting new emergency medical protocols. We participate in a quality assurance program, work under the medical director of emergency services for SSM Health Midwest City and this year we will continue to update our "agency protocols" as well to remain compliant with changes. It is a challenge to keep up with State and Federal requirements, however our commitment is to continue to provide high quality emergency medical and fire department services to our communities. 

I have applied for and received our National Incident Management System Certification from the Oklahoma State Department of Emergency Management recently. This certification is required for federal disaster and or recovery funds or grants. This is especially important if Forest Park were to have a catastrophic event such as a tornado. We recently did our required hydrant testing and are scheduling our annual hose testing and apparatus certification for May in preparation for upcoming ISO fire department rating. 

The fire department is happy to answer questions, do assessments and/or make recommendations with your safety in mind. If anyone would like to discuss any safety issue, please leave your contact information with the front desk at town hall and a representee will contact you for an appointment, Thank you!

Respectfully submitted,
Wesley "Chuck" Blair
Fire Administration / Emergency Management