TULSA, Okla. — Juan Ocampo is a first-responder for the Tulsa Fire Department, but when he's not on duty, he's either with his family or on the soccer field.
“We’re ready to serve the community, we’re ready to serve the citizens of Tulsa, we’re ready to make a difference," Ocampo said.
Ocampo is a firefighter at Station 27 in east Tulsa, which services a large Hispanic population. He's been with the station for four months, but his roots go back to South America.
“I’m originally from Manizales, Colombia," Ocampo said.
Ocampo said he's very proud of his Colombian heritage and loves sharing it with others whenever he gets a chance.
“Occasionally, I like to share my culture here at the station. So, I'll bring Colombian food, or I'll cook some Colombian food, and the guys say they like it but I don’t know if it’s authentic or not," Ocampo said.
He said learning English was not easy.
“When I first came to the United States, not knowing English was really hard, so sometimes you get picked on a little bit because you didn’t speak the language. So, I always strive to not be like that. I always want to treat people the way you want to be treated because of life experiences," he said.
Now, those bilingual abilities translated well in his role.
“It’s good to be able to break that language barrier and be able to communicate effectively with somebody that needs help," Ocampo said.
Andrew Little with the Tulsa Fire Department said those skills are valuable when responding to emergencies.
“The fact that he speaks Spanish is a great asset, especially in this community where he works. When time is important, we know that time saves lives, Juan could be a great asset to his crew and not only that, but the youth in this community, when they see people that look like them, they realize that there’s potential for them to get a job in this career," Little said.
Ocampo said Colombia is a bright, lively place and that's where his passion for soccer was born, too.
“I started playing in the streets, just in my neighborhood, then when I moved to the United States, I got introduced to a competitive soccer team," he said.
After playing with the semi-pro soccer team, Tulsa Athletics. He played at Oklahoma City University and eventually transitioned into coaching.
“In coaching, I was then, sharing my experiences in helping the upcoming youth and now I get to do that with kids that want to maybe become firefighters or just sharing my expertise with medical services, or fire services," Ocampo said.
Ocampo wants to invite any young Tulsan interested in becoming a firefighter to visit a fire station and ask for a tour. He said they are more than happy to show you around.
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