Welch Fire Department - (918)788-3616

Thanks for taking a look at the page...going to try to keep up with this so everyone knows what's going on with the department.

Our Community's Volunteers include:

Allen Armstrong, Firefighter
Barry Armstrong, Firefighter
Kyle Chenoweth, Firefighter
Steve Davis, Deputy Chief
Becky Gilman, Firefighter
Bobby Gilman, Lieutenant
Andrew Hanson, Firefighter
Jesse Highsmith, Firefighter
Harley Malone, Firefighter
Brad Mount, Captain
Jacob Mount, Firefighter
Chase Nair, Firefigher
Rocky Rupert, Firefighter
Doyle Tucker, Firefighter
Brandon Webster, Chief


The department apparatus list currently consists of:

1- Rescue Engine
1- Engine
2- Tankers
5- Brush Trucks

The first fire equipment of Welch was a wagon with tongue, two iron wheels shoulder high, and a fire hose that the volunteers pulled by hand. A whistle that the telephone operator at the Central would blow summoned firemen. The whistle blew at 7am, noon, and 6pm every day. It also blew when a tornado was sighted. For a fire it blew one long continuous sound.
In the 40's a 4-wheel wagon with a hitch that could be hooked to a car was used. The hose had to be fastened to fireplugs to get water. Members of the City Council went to Catoosa to buy a used hose from the Tulsa Fire Department. While there they learned about organizing a volunteer fire department.
The first chartered Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1949. John Patch was Chief. Homer Headlee, Pete Flatt, Elmer Roy McAffrey, Senior Horner, and Charles Horner were the firefighters.
The Welch merchants and citizens made donations; John patch made up the difference to buy a 1950 Ford truck. Patch put a water tank onto a Model T chasis. A new siren was bought and Booge Mills made a tower for it, placing it behind the old Welch City Hall and Jail (empty lot between Welch State Bank and Welch Locker). In June 1977 fund raising began to raise money to build a new fire station and city hall. Bill Patch, son of John Patch, matched the donations and a new Welch Fire Station (in memory of John Patch) and City Hall were built.

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