David Topping reflects on life, career

Fire chief retires after 35 years with City of Bartlesville

After more than three decades with the Bartlesville Fire Department, Chief David Topping will officially retire on May 31. Topping has been employed with the City of Bartlesville since he joined the fire department in 1989 and has served in leadership roles since 2008. His service and accolades include:

• President for the Fire Marshals Association of Oklahoma 2024
• Legislative Committee for the Fire Marshals Association of Oklahoma
• Green Country Fire Chief’s Association Training Committee 2021
• Committee for Washington County Fallen Firefighters and Law Enforcement
• 24 years of service with the Board of the International Association of Fire Fighters
• Governor’s Meritorious Service Ribbon for the Alfred P. Murrah Building response in 1995
• Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Council on Firefighter Training in 2015
• Bartlesville Fire Department Service Ribbon with three silver stars for 35-year service in 2024

Tell us about your early life. Where did you grow up and attend school?

I grew up on a ranch near Oglesby and have lived in this area my whole life. Growing up, we lived just inside the Nowata County line so I attended and graduated from Nowata schools.

What kinds of jobs did you do after graduation?

I’ve always worked with cows and horses, and I have done some construction. I served in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1988. I served in the Infantry with the 2nd and 9th Ranger Battalion in

Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Lewis, Wash., and Fort Bragg, N.C.

What prompted you to go to work for the Bartlesville Fire Department?

I had come back from the Army and was cowboyin’, and my cousin, Larry, who was a firefighter, told me the department was testing for firefighters. I didn’t want to do it, but then one of our old (family) friends and my dad talked to me about it.

Our friend told me he had been cowboyin’ his whole life and all he had to show for it was a wore out pickup, a wore out horse, and a wore out life. He said, “You’ve got to do something where you’ll have a retirement,” so I decided to test. There were 238 people testing for three positions, and I was one of the three they picked.

What positions have you held with the department?

I was a firefighter from 1989 until 2002 when I was promoted to equipment operator, then captain in 2008 and deputy fire chief in 2015. I was named chief after John Banks retired, in 2021.

What was your favorite position with BFD?

Probably Firefighter. That’s what I got in the fire service to do, and I liked the directness of it: You were there to fight fires, that’s what you were trained to do, and that’s what you did. It was a lot of work, but I liked that.

I also enjoyed being fire marshal. I got to meet a lot of people and work with them on their projects. You can’t design things for people, but you can provide the information they need to do the job the right way. I made a lot of good friends doing that and felt like I helped people accomplish their goals.

How did you end up in leadership with the department?

I was a captain at Station No. 4 when (then fire chief) John Banks came in to tell me that Billy (Phillips, then fire marshal/deputy chief) was going to retire. Back then, only the five most senior people could test for the position, and John asked me to consider testing for it. I told him I wasn’t interested, that I loved my job as captain and I didn’t see any reason to change.

But then other people started asking me if I was going to test for it, and several of them told me they would like for me to be their boss. It got to be so many that I started jotting their names down in the back of my notebook. Within a few weeks I had 52 names. So I talked to my wife about it and she said, “Well, did you pray about it?” I said, “Yes.” She said, “What did God say?” I said, “He told me to test.” She said, “Well, there’s your answer.”

What role has faith played in your life and career?

From a young age, I’ve known God has directed my steps. I like to say I’m not that smart and I don’t take hints very well so God and I have an understanding that when I need to know something, He’ll hit me over the head with it. And He always does. Because of my trust in that, I know I’m always exactly where I’m supposed to be.

What do you think is the most challenging thing about a career in the fire service?

I think dealing with death has been the most challenging thing. That’s the darker side of the job that nobody tells you about and, unfortunately, it’s a big part of it. The challenge is learning how to cope with it and deal with it. And in a leadership role, the challenge changes and becomes helping the younger firefighters deal with it.

What challenges do you think the department and/or City will face going into the future?

I think the biggest challenge will be change – the changes in training and technology that all departments are required to go through and will continue to go through in the future. Change is always hard, and some people have difficulty adjusting to that. It’s easier to keep doing things the way we’ve always done them. But, of course, that’s not possible.

What will you miss the most about working for the City of Bartlesville?

I will miss the people. I have things that I love and will get to do more of once I’m retired so I don’t think I’ll miss the job much. But I will miss the people.

Do those things include cowboyin’?

Absolutely. That’s what I’ve always loved the most, taking care of cows and horses. I love everything about it. I love the cowboy lifestyle.

What other plans do you have after retiring, if any?

I’ve taught an inspector’s class for several years for OSU and am considering continuing that. But mostly I’ll cowboy and spend more time with my family.

Tell us more about your family.

My wife Kristen and I got married on New Year’s Eve 1988. We have two sons, Adam and Jake, and five grandchildren. She’s kept me on the straight and narrow for 35 years. She keeps me humble and keeps me going the direction I’m supposed to be going.

I have said this before, but without the support of our families, we wouldn’t be able to do this job. It never fails that when something happens at home – the water lines burst, the cows get out, or whatever it is – we’re always on-shift and our families have to take care of it. Family support is everything, and I am lucky to have always had that.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

Just that I am thankful for such a great career, and more grateful that God has blessed me with great family and friends. And to remind everyone to “always do what’s right, even when it’s not popular.”