We all remember where we were and what we were doing. September 11, 2001. As the second tower was hit, David Oakley sat on his couch thinking “this will be the last time I sit at my house, and watch something like that; and not do what I want to do.”
David Oakley runs toward the fires – the trouble – while most of us flee or seek cover. Drawn to the firefighter’s life since he was a child, Oakley recognizes that his vocation is all about public service, not a paycheck. As Oakley points out, firefighting is more than battling blazes; the job often entails a variety of tasks from search and rescue operations to emergency medical care. Answering the reason why we often see fire engines on various sites. “There are a lot more fire engines than EMS trucks,” Oakley says, “that’s why you often see the red trucks first.”
this will be the last time I sit at my house, and watch something like that; and not do what I want to do.
In the days following 9-11, Oakley conquered numerous courses through FEMA, and soon became a member of Ohio’s Taskforce One, one of 28 teams federally authorized to respond to domestic disasters, Oakley is specially trained to assist with “urban search and rescue” operations. Recently returning from a thirteen-day deployment to Texas. Oakley teamed up with other search and rescue specialists to evacuate citizens dealing with flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Working on an average of three hours of sleep throughout the deployment, Taskforce One members performed numerous water rescues in the days after Harvey’s landfall, while guiding thousands of evacuees to high ground. Oakley sensing after a few long days the mood turning “edgy”, David decided to sport a “bright blue speedo” to “stir things up a bit. Unknown to others, Oakley had a surprise awaiting the team as he went through the decontamination line. As he stripped down to the blue speedo, laughter ensued. “It’s for fun, it’s a tension breaker,” Oakley added.
A veteran in the firehouse, David Oakley enjoys mentoring the younger firefighters. “It’s neat to see their passion and drive,” Oakley says with a smile, “Hopefully I can guide them in the right direction like the old guys guided me.” When asked about the biggest misconception the public has about firefighters, Oakley states, “It’s the food,” adding, “we buy our own food for the firehouse out-of-pocket.”
David Oakley runs toward the trouble when trouble arrives. Trained, passionate about his work, and well-seasoned after many years in the firehouse, Oakley is one of many “heroes next door,” offering the best of himself when the calls for help arrive.