TURLEY, Okla — Turley residents say they are worried about a lack of public safety after the bulk of its volunteer firefighters put in resignations last week.
There’s not much activity going on at Turley Fire and Rescue on Tuesday, besides a green car and pickup truck parked out front. Every so often walkers like Julianna Torres and her niece Sarah pass by. Torres says it’s always like that.
“They don’t respond hardly at all," Torres said. "We’ve knocked on their door before, and there’s no answer.”
2 News Reporter Justin Ayer called the department and knocked on the front door Tuesday morning, but did not get any responses. Torres says it's unsettling.
“Living in Turley and only having very few firefighters is really scary because there’s so many homes that have caught fire," Torres said.
Tulsa County officials are taking action. In a statement from Commissioner Stan Salle’s office, Tulsa County doesn’t have direct oversight of Turley Fire & Rescue, but it is in contact with Tulsa Fire to ensure residents will have coverage in an emergency.
Tulsa Fire Public Information Officer Andy Little says crews regularly respond to Turley through a mutual aid agreement, and if a 911 fire-related call is placed in the area, they’ll respond quickly to work the emergency.
But in the small unincorporated community of Turley with roughly 2,500 people, residents are pleading for more.
Six Turley volunteer firefighters resigned last week, leaving just five at the Turley Fire Department.
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