She wasn’t stuck high, just dodging some dogs, But still drew a crew through the red dirt and fog. No blaze, no alarm—just a feline request, met by Sayre’s own purr-fect, firehouse best.
If you happened to be driving through Sayre the other day and spotted a big red ladder truck parked under a tree, you might’ve thought something serious was going down.
And you’d be right—sort of. Turns out, it wasn’t a structure fire or a highway pile-up. It was a cat. A very stubborn cat.
“We brought the ladder truck out and everything,” said Sayre Fire Chief Colter Sanders, leaning back with a slow grin. “That cat kept going back up like it was playing games with us.” After all the effort, they learned the feline wasn’t stuck. It was just hiding from a couple of barking dogs down below.
Only the second cat-in-atree call Sanders has seen in his career, but it stuck with him. “It was just one of those calls,” he said, shaking his head. “You laugh, but you still show up.”
That attitude—quiet, steady, always ready—sums up both Sanders and the fire department he leads. Whether it’s battling flames, crawling through wreckage, handing out water bottles, or chasing a cheese-ball can off a dog’s head at 4 a.m. (yes, that happened), the Sayre Fire Department shows up. No headlines needed.
Colter Sanders didn’t become a firefighter for the glory. He became one because it’s all he ever wanted.
His dad served on the Sayre Fire Department for 20 years. “I was around it as soon as I could walk,” Sanders said. “He’d bring me to the station— I remember getting to ride in the trucks and watching all the guys. It was just the coolest thing in the world.”
One memory stands out: the day they brought in the engine that still sits near the front of the bay. “I remember when they brought that engine in— right there when you walk in the door. It was a big deal.”
By 2009, he was officially on the roster himself. When a shake-up left the department without a chief, Sanders was asked to fill in—temporarily. But as the weeks rolled by, city leadership saw how smoothly he handled things. The “temporary” gig turned into a permanent calling.
He doesn’t brag. He doesn’t bark orders. He just shows up, every week, every call.
Sanders, like everyone in the department, is a volunteer. His full-time job is at the city water plant just south of Sayre. But when the tones drop—day or night—he’s out the door with the others.
They try to keep a roster of 20 volunteers. Right now, they’ve got about 15. New recruits start by grabbing an application from City Hall and attending biweekly Monday night meetings. After a few months of observation and getting to know the crew, they’re voted in and serve a year of probation.
It’s not just for those willing to charge into burning buildings. Some folks help with maintenance, pump operations, or even just stocking supplies.
“There’s always something to do around here,” Sanders said. “Even if it’s just washing trucks or helping with gear—it all matters.”
And yes, those trucks are sensitive. “They’re expensive,” he added with a laugh. “But we’ve never had anybody just want to come wash ‘em.”
Maybe that’s an opportunity waiting to happen.
Sayre’s crew trains regularly in Elk City, using the regional burn tower and facilities. In years past, Sanders drove all over Oklahoma for fire training— places like Stillwater and OSU’s fire service campus. His favorite course? “Extrication’s always a good one,” he said. “But I liked advanced fire behavior, too. They put you in a metal box and light it on fire so you can watch the rollover. That was a pretty fun one.”
Not all calls are fun, though. “I hate the wrecks,” he admitted quietly. With I-40 running right through town, the department responds to plenty of them. Sometimes they’re tragic. Sanders recalled one scene where a young child had passed away. “You try not to let it get to you,” he said, “but sometimes it does.”
Fortunately, they’ve got a support system. Elk City’s chaplains are just a call away, and Sanders checks in on his crew. “If I see someone struggling, I’ll make a call,” he said. “Even if it turns out to be nothing—I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Sayre may be their home base, but when other departments call, Sanders and his team don’t hesitate. “Our main priority is Sayre,” he said, “but if surrounding departments need us, we’ll send two trucks if we can.”
They also work with the Beckham County Task Force, a coordinated regional response unit made up of fire departments across the county. When a big fire hits— whether in Roger Mills, Greer, Hammon, or even across the line into Texas—the task force rolls out.
“We’ve been everywhere they’ve needed us,” Sanders said. “If they call, we go. That’s just part of how we do things out here. Wide open spaces. Big fires. We back each other up.”
Sometimes it’s a 10-minute drive. Other times, it’s a trip across state lines. Either way, you’ll see Sayre’s trucks rolling— no questions asked.
Like most departments, Sayre has its stories. A dog stuck under the same house— twice—the very house where the team recently rolled out a ladder truck to rescue a cat from the tree. And then there’s the pup with its head jammed in a titanium cheese-ball canister at four in the morning.
“Western Oklahoma’s full of surprises,” Sanders said with a grin. “We get wind, fire, critters, and everything in between.”
But when it comes to the work, he’s clear: it’s about showing up and being dependable.
As Sanders put it, they’re not real strict—but they do have standards. And around here, trust goes a long way. You don’t have to be best friends with the person on the truck next to you, but you do have to trust them when the pressure’s on.
What Sayre’s fire department needs most isn’t glory or awards—it’s volunteers. People willing to commit a little time and effort, people who want to make a difference without needing a spotlight.
They also welcome bottled water donations, occasional funding for gear, and even help spreading the word about their services—like free smoke detector installations for anyone who needs them.
“If someone can’t reach to change a battery, or doesn’t have an alarm, call us,” Sanders said. “We’ll come install it.”
Want to help? Grab an application at Sayre City Hall. Attend a Monday night meeting. Or just bring a case of water to the station and say hello.
Because sometimes, being a hero doesn’t mean running into a fire. Sometimes it just means showing up.
And sometimes, it means pointing a ladder truck at a cedar tree while a stubborn cat plays king of the mountain— just another day in Western Oklahoma.
SPECIAL THANKS
A special thank you to the current roster of the Sayre Volunteer Fire Department, who continue to serve this community with dedication, grit, and good humor: Colter Sanders Bill Farmer Isacc Ahrens Justin Louis Billy York Brandon Bowman Ben Fairless Kyle Merrick Aaron Lowry Noe Sandoval Shawn Holley Caleb Holley Aaron Ruben James Livingston Lance Teeter
