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Tahlequah accepts retirement of Fire Chief Casey Baker after more than three decades of service
Summary
The council accepted the resignation/retirement of Fire Chief Casey Baker effective Jan. 31, 2026. Members praised his service and longevity; Baker thanked the city and colleagues. No personnel successor was announced at the meeting.
The Tahlequah City Council on Dec. 1 accepted the resignation and retirement of Fire Chief Casey Baker, who will leave the department effective Jan. 31, 2026.
Several council members offered personal thanks and anecdotes for Baker’s years of service. The council noted a combined 34 years of service when accounting for Baker’s start date in the early 1990s; Baker replied that he began as a volunteer and said it had been a pleasure working with his crew and that he will "always be around."
The record contains a council motion to accept the retirement and a recorded vote in which council members indicated assent (the chair announced the motion carried). The council did not announce a replacement or an interim appointment at the meeting.
The council’s recognition of long service was followed later in the meeting by a separate recognition of a firefighter for 25 years of service (the meeting transcript contains inconsistent spellings for the 25-year honoree — see audit notes).
