Oakland Fire and Rescue

08/31/2026

It was a great day for training! We were fortunate to be able to train on an acquired structure today. Due to the instability of the main floor and roof, we weren’t able to do a lot of interior work, and no roof work. What we were able to do was valuable smoke reading, building construction and fire behavior training. This was valuable for our new and incumbent staff and we thank the Pierce family for allowing us to help them and get one final use out of this home. Kerri Hodges

08/18/2026

We are proud of our members who have volunteered to be a part of this valuable program.

Project Lifesaver Success Story:

First responders were recently called to help find a missing older adult enrolled in Project Lifesaver. Teams from Council Bluffs Police Department, Council Bluffs Fire Department, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and Oakland Volunteer Fire Department responded and began searching.

Project Lifesaver participants wear a small transmitter that emits a unique tracking signal. Using a specialized receiver, Council Bluffs Deputy Chief Alex Ford picked up that signal and followed it, helping locate the missing individual near Veterans Memorial Highway.

He was found just 27 minutes after the 911 call and was 2.5 miles from home! A great outcome made possible by technology, training, and teamwork.

That’s exactly what Project Lifesaver is designed to do. The program provides an extra layer of protection for individuals who may be prone to wandering due to dementia, autism, or other cognitive conditions, while giving their families a little more peace of mind. Currently, 42 people are registered in the Project Lifesaver program.

08/14/2026

The first of many, monthly member spotlights! Meet Gaven Hackett, he’s been a volunteer on the Oakland Fire Dept. for one year. Gaven started out as a Cadet in our Cadet program and upon turning 18 was approved for full membership. Gaven now serves as a probationary firefighter and will be starting EMT class this month to further support his community. We are glad to have him serve with us!

07/04/2026

Congratulations to Ken Peterson for winning the Henry rifle and Evan Jones for winning the Iowa/ISU football tickets in our raffle. Thank you to everyone who came to the pancake breakfast, donated and participated in the raffle. We appreciate your support!

06/25/2026

We are honored to receive this grant funding. We will be using it to purchase a new defibrillator and supplies for our quick response truck. Thank you to the foundation for your continued support.

🌟 Impact Grants Spotlight: Oakland Fire and Rescue 🌟

During the Community Foundation's latest Impact Grants funding cycle, the Oakland Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department received $3,475 to enhance emergency response capabilities in the communities they serve. 🚒

Grant funding from the Community Foundation helped support the purchase of an additional Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for the department’s rapid response vehicle, including a storage case and electrode pads. As surrounding departments face staffing challenges, Oakland Fire and Rescue is increasingly responding to 911 EMS calls outside their jurisdiction which could leave their ambulance and equipment unavailable for local calls. Adding an AED to the rapid response vehicle will ensure lifesaving care can still be delivered when every second counts. 🧑‍🚒❤️🚑

Thank you to the Oakland Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department for your dedication to protecting and serving the community, and for going above and beyond to meet growing emergency needs.

See our full list of 2026 Community Impact Grant recipients at: https://bit.ly/2026-ImpactGrants

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06/19/2026

Our Annual Pancake Feed is just around the corner! Join us the morning of July 4th, from 7:00-10:30 at the Oakland Fire Station for delicious pancakes, sausage and bacon.
This year we are excited to be raffling Iowa/Iowa State football tickets and a 45-70 lever action rifle. Tickets are one for $10 or three for $20. Tickets can be purchased via Venmo, at City Hall, or from any member of Oakland Fire Department. Can’t wait to see you there! Venmo

06/07/2026

Thank you to those that came and golfed in the Fireman’s tournament. We want to thank all of our hole sponsors and participants, your donations and support are a huge part of what keeps us going. Thank you to Heather Johnson and Vicki Palmer for the great photos! Also to Vicki for volunteering to assist on our hole-in-one prize. An even bigger thank you to her for managing the hole solo when our volunteers had to leave for a rescue call in our territory, the community support of our department does not go unnoticed.

Congratulations to the winning teams of
1. Joel Faga 1st place First Flight
2. Addison Brink 2nd place First Flight

We will see you all next year.

05/24/2026

We were honored to es**rt the class 1A Track and Field STATE CHAMPION Bulldogs through Oakland and back to the Riverside campus. Congratulations to you all! Go Dawgs!

05/21/2026

Come join us June 6th for our annual golf tournament at the Oakland Riverside Golf Course. Raffle tickets can be purchased today on Venmo (), or in person the day of the event. Thank you for supporting your local fire department!

05/14/2026

Last night we had the honor of presenting our association scholarships to Gaven Hackett and Keegan Smith. Our scholarship is funded by the profits from our bar at the community building. No donated money goes to the funding. Gaven is a member of our cadet program and spent a lot of time at the station as part of the Riverside Ijag program. Keegan has helped with our annual pancake breakfast on the 4th of July for many years and has always been a tremendous help. We congratulate them on their graduation and wish them nothing but success.
Photo credit to Vicki Palmer