Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
At Jenks Fire Rescue in Jenks, Oklahoma, a culture of excellence is not a slogan - it is the standard every member of the department is held to, and the foundation of everything they do in service of their community. From the leather helmets that firefighters carry for an entire career to a fire pole installed in a brand new station, tradition and new ideas sit side by side at Jenks, and together they define what the department is today.
That culture is built on people. An in-house academy developing recruits the way Jenks wants them developed, and the right tools and resources in place to support every member of the team, have all ensured an increase in staffing levels and retention at Jenks Fire Rescue.
The investment in people is matched by an investment in infrastructure. A new $5 million fire station separates living quarters from gear and incorporates decontamination facilities designed in from the start for cancer prevention. Ladder 1, Rescue 2, and a full complement of apparatus all meet NFPA standards.
All of it exists for one reason: to perform when it counts. At Jenks, search is considered the most important job on the fireground, and the department trains for it relentlessly. When a mayday was called during a structure fire and two firefighters fell through the roof of a garage, Driver Connor Schultz made the rescue. The training had done its job.
Jenks Fire Rescue is now training new trainers and sending personnel to national events - five to FDIC, a leadership program at FRI, officer boot camp, and executive fire officer training. They are sharing the culture of excellence they have built, and inspiring other departments to protect their communities the same way.
At Jenks Fire Rescue in Jenks, Oklahoma, a culture of excellence is not a slogan - it is the standard every member of the department is held to, and the foundation of everything they do in service of their community. From the leather helmets that firefighters carry for an entire career to a fire pole installed in a brand new station, tradition and new ideas sit side by side at Jenks, and together they define what the department is today.
That culture is built on people. An in-house academy developing recruits the way Jenks wants them developed, and the right tools and resources in place to support every member of the team, have all ensured an increase in staffing levels and retention at Jenks Fire Rescue.
The investment in people is matched by an investment in infrastructure. A new $5 million fire station separates living quarters from gear and incorporates decontamination facilities designed in from the start for cancer prevention. Ladder 1, Rescue 2, and a full complement of apparatus all meet NFPA standards.
All of it exists for one reason: to perform when it counts. At Jenks, search is considered the most important job on the fireground, and the department trains for it relentlessly. When a mayday was called during a structure fire and two firefighters fell through the roof of a garage, Driver Connor Schultz made the rescue. The training had done its job.
Jenks Fire Rescue is now training new trainers and sending personnel to national events - five to FDIC, a leadership program at FRI, officer boot camp, and executive fire officer training. They are sharing the culture of excellence they have built, and inspiring other departments to protect their communities the same way.
