After serving 35 years with the Bartlesville Fire Department, Chief David Topping will retire effective June 1.
Topping began his career with the City of Bartlesville Fire Department in 1989, after a six-year stint in the U.S. Army.
He served as a firefighter until 2002, when he was promoted to the position of equipment operator. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 2008 and then to deputy fire chief in 2015. He became assistant fire chief in 2018 and was appointed chief in 2021.
Topping 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. He has served on the executive board of the IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 200 union for 20 years and 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 years of service in 2019.
“Chief Topping has been a driving force in our Fire Department throughout his 35-year career,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “He has served with distinction in both the fire union and in City leadership. There are not many individuals who can successfully make this transition, but Chief Topping was able to do it with honor and great character. I will miss our time together, but I know that he has set our department in the right direction for the future.”
The search for Topping’s replacement is set to begin immediately.
Follow www.cityofbartlesville.org for more information.