Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Retiring Bartlesville Fire Chief John Banks and incoming Fire Chief David Topping appeared live on COMMUNITY CONNECTION's CITY MATTERS program on Monday.

 

It was a bright and lively conversation about the Fire Department, the changes over the years and a look into the future.

 

We began with Chief John Banks summarizing his career with the fire department. He joined the Bartlesville Fire Department as a firefighter in 1979. He was promoted to equipment operator in 1989, then to captain in 2000 and battalion chief in 2007. He was named fire chief in 2014. Banks was named the Firefighter of The Year in 2003 and 2009, received the Award of Merit from Oklahoma State Firefighters Association in 2007 — for an ice rescue at Jo Allyn Lowe Lake — and four Certificates of Appreciation from The City of Bartlesville.

 

After a 42-year career with the City of Bartlesville, Fire Chief John Banks will officially retire effective July 1. .

 

Deputy Fire Chief David Topping will take over later this week as the Fire Chief at the Bartlesville Fire Department. After 32 years of service with BFD, Topping will officially become chief of the department on July 1.

 

After serving in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1988, Topping began his career with Bartlesville Fire Department in 1989. He served as a firefighter until 2002, at which time he was promoted to the position of equipment operator. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 2008, and to deputy fire chief in 2015.

 

Topping currently serves on the Legislative Committee for the Fire Marshals Association of Oklahoma, the Green Country Fire Chief's Association Training Committee 2021, and the Committee for Washington County Fallen Firefighters and Law Enforcement,acording to CityBeat. He has served on the executive board of the IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 200 union for 20 years. He has attended numerous fire academies and trainings over his 32-year career and holds certifications in all aspects of the Fire Service. He received the Governor's Meritorious Service Ribbon for the Alfred P. Murrah Building response in 1995, the Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Council on Firefighter Training in 2015 and the Bartlesville Fire Department Service Ribbon with two silver stars for 30-year service in 2019.