Thieves and vandals hit the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum in northeast Oklahoma City this week, stripping metal, prying at doors and even lighting a dumpster on fire, according to museum volunteers and retired firefighters who run the place. The fallout has left the memorial to fallen firefighters dimmed and the people who care for it scrambling to pay for repairs and tighten security.
Museum representatives filed police reports saying unknown suspects pulled copper from the building’s air-conditioning units, removed metal rings from the lights that illuminate the memorial and tried to force open a museum door with a crowbar. Someone also set a small dumpster on the property on fire, an especially bitter touch at a museum dedicated to firefighters. Oklahoma City police have been conducting extra patrols around the site while staff tally the damage and look for weak spots in their security. According to KFOR, museum leaders are asking anyone with tips to contact police or reach out directly to museum officials.
Historic collection under strain
The museum, owned and operated by the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association and located on Northeast 50th Street, has been preserving firefighting equipment, restored apparatus and memorials since the 1960s. As noted by The Gateway to Oklahoma History, the site houses a large collection of antique fire trucks and artifacts and is funded largely by members and volunteers rather than a steady stream of public money.
Costs and response
Mike Kelley, executive director of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association, told KFOR that repairs will run into the thousands of dollars, roughly 7,000 to 8,000 dollars in damage, even though the stolen copper itself is worth very little. "It's sacred ground to us. It's disappointing, and it's painful that people would do this for a small amount of financial gain," Kelley said. Museum officials say they plan to add fencing, more lighting and security cameras, a package they estimate will cost about 100,000 dollars.
How to help
Because the museum leans heavily on volunteers, membership dues and donations, leaders say they will launch fundraising efforts to cover both the security upgrades and the repair bills from the break-ins. The museum's Welcome Center is listed at (405) 424-1452, and background and contact information are available through The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
