Bartlesville names H.C. Call as new fire chief

H.C. Call is Bartlesville's new fire department chief, effective May 29, the city announced Monday.

He replaces David Topping, who announced his retirement in March after 35 years with the department. His retirement is effective June 1.

"I'm excited to welcome H.C. back to the Bartlesville Fire Department as our next fire chief," City Manager Mike Bailey said. "H.C. brings excellent credentials, training and experience to our department. He has a unique combination of familiarity with our department combined with a broader perspective gained by serving as the chief of another department."

Call began his career in fire service with the Bartlesville Fire Department in 2001 as a firefighter. He was promoted to driver in 2014 and also served as a relief captain. He left the department in 2017 to take up his current role as fire chief in Collinsville.

In addition to leadership roles, Call is actively involved in fire service training and education. Since 2011, he's served as an adjunct faculty member at Tri County Technology Center and is currently the vice president of the Tri County Technology Center Rescue Training Tower Advisory Board.

Since 2004, Call has also held the Fire/EMS instructor position with Oklahoma State University's Fire Service Training.

Call has earned several degrees throughout his career, including a Bachelor of Science from Rogers State University and a Master's in Public Administration from Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. He has also completed the Oklahoma Executive Fire Officer Leadership Program, an advanced leadership program designed to support Oklahoma fire service leaders.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: H.C. Call named fire chief of Bartlesville after Topping's retirement