James Heap: OFCA Past President’s Report

from Oklahoma Firefighter magazine May-June-July 2023

by Oklahoma State Firefighters Assoc

Terry Essary: OFCA 3rd Vice President’s Report

Greetings Oklahoma Fire Service!

For those of you that were able to make it to the OFCA Conference in Lawton, I hope you enjoyed it.

I had a great time and enjoyed visiting and networking with friends and peers. Thank you for attending, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped with the conference. First, thanks go out to the Lawton Fire Department Honor Guard, Oklahoma Fire Pipes and Drums, Lance Whitson and Charley Sheffield of Frederick Fire, and Chief Richard Kelley for the wonderful memorial service.

Thank you to Jimmy Gaither and Justin Green from Frederick Fire and Nolan Berry from Lawton Fire for their help with the golf tournament.

I appreciate the words Tommase Howard spoke each morning as he led us in prayer. I want to thank all the other members of Frederick Fire Department for their continued support over the past few years.

I want to thank my wife Bridget and my kids for their support and help at the conference. Bridget was a little upset with me when I informed her she was going to have to talk in front of the attendees. She was more uncomfortable doing it than I was but did a job.

Carrie and Sandi at the Apache Hotel were great to work with and were very accommodating to our needs. They made the planning process go smoothly and made sure all the I’s were dotted and the T’s were crossed. Thank you to them for all their hard work.

I need to thank Chief Greg Herbster for his service to the OFCA as a board member and for his leadership and mentorship. I treasure the friendship we have developed over the past few years. You, sir, are a great asset to the Oklahoma Fire Service.

I also want to welcome Chief Terry Essary from Stillwater Fire Department to the board as the new 3rd Vice President. Terry brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the board, and I know he will be a great addition. I look forward to working with him.

I look forward to working with President Richard Kelley as he leads the OFCA this year. Chief Kelley will continue to represent this association in a manner that is positive for the Oklahoma Fire Service. He is a great person and leader, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with him. Thank you, Chief Kelley, for your support over the last few years.

As I said at the conference, none of this would be able to happen without Raegan Layne and Kent Lagaly.

Kent guided me through the process and helped tremendously, but Raegan did all the work. We appreciate OSFA for allowing her to work with us, as she does an amazing job. Thanks, Raegan and Kent, for everything you do.

I have been told by many that they enjoyed the entertainment. I had a good time, as well, even though I had to be part of the entertainment. I thought the dueling pianos were a lot of fun and they kept the audience engaged.

Lastly, as I mentioned in my President’s Report during the business meeting, I am dedicating my time now to working with stakeholders of the fire service to develop a minimum standard and new chief training for fire chiefs in Oklahoma.

It is my belief that when we get this standard in place, lives will be saved and injuries will be prevented.

I look forward to taking on this challenge and hope that all of you can see that this needs to be done. Once fire chiefs are trained and meet the standard, they should lead by example and encourage the members of their departments to do the same.

I know this will be a trying task as we will have a lot of objectives to work through. With the leadership of the stakeholders, I know we will eventually be able to define what an Oklahoma fire chief is and have a method and funding to develop the fire chiefs of Oklahoma. Thank you to everyone for your support while serving as your President. I have been truly humbled to serve you. It is truly an honor to serve on the OFCA Board.

If you ever need to communicate with any of the board members, don’t hesitate to contact us. Until next time, stay safe!