Longtime MWC fire department spokesman Jerry Lojka retires

Jerry Lojka left his office at the Midwest City Fire Department for the last time Tuesday afternoon.

After 33 years in the fire service, Lojka made a quiet retirement exit with no public fanfare, but that’s the way he wanted it.

“I was paid to do a job and I did the best I could and there’s no sense of making a big deal out of it,” he said Tuesday.

Lojka spent 29 years at the Midwest City Fire Department and served in several roles, including firefighter, inspector, investigator, public education officer, public information officer and fire marshal.

His favorite job was that of department spokesman as he answered questions from the press, and conveyed important fire prevention tips to the public.

“I loved working with the media,” he said. “It provided me the opportunity to share what our fire department does. People need relevant information during an emergency and I enjoyed gathering that information so the public could make good information so the public could make good decisions.”

Lojka said he developed a good understanding of the media’s role, and helped reporters obtain the necessary information for readers and viewers.

“I would give you as much information as possible when I could. I was sensitive to the media’s job and the pressures that go with it. I think I forged good partnerships and relationships with the media,” he said.

Lojka also helped other public information officers gain a better understanding of the media. For 15 years, he taught a basic public information officer and media relations class in partnership with the Oklahoma Emergency Management department.

Crisis times

During his career at Midwest City, Lojka had plenty of emergencies to discuss with the press.

In 1995, Lojka was part of Midwest City’s hazardous materials unit, which helped recover bodies from the Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City. Four years later, Lojka made numerous appearances before reporters covering the May 3, 1999 tornado that killed three Midwest City people and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses.

In the early part of 2009, Lojka spent time answering questions from reporters about the wildfires that ravaged Eastern Oklahoma County. In addition, there was the year when six Midwest City residents, including three children, died in house fires.

Those fatalities quickly sparked Lojka’s interest in fire prevention education.

“It was a horrible thing,” he said. “We had six deaths in one year, which is huge for a city our size. That’s the most since I’ve been here. You never get over some of those, and a child’s death is always the worst. After pulling the second or third body out of a house, I knew we had to do something to prevent that. I wanted to make a difference before they died.”

Again in 1999, Midwest City’s firefighters experienced a tragedy that touched all of them, including Lojka. Firefighter Jim Clark died in the line of duty while working a call on Interstate 40 west of Air Depot. A second firefighter, Steve Shipman, was injured in the same multivehicle accident, and later was forced to retire for medical reasons.

Education success

Lojka spent the last 19 years of his career as a public education officer and fire marshal. In both roles, he spent time with residents and children teaching them fire prevention tips.

“I dealt with everyone ranging from senior citizens to preschoolers. We were in the public schools almost on a daily basis. It connects you to your community,” he said. “We can save their lives if they pay attention to what we’re telling them. I think it would be a wasted career if I didn’t believe I made a difference. I think we saved lives through education and people hearing our messages.”

Still, some people don’t pay attention to common sense fire prevention tips, Lojka said.

“Did you know that unattended cooking is still the number one cause of fires in the United States and Midwest City? People still leave their food on the stove to run a quick errand to the store, and when they return their entire house has burned down,” the fire marshal said.

Reason for leaving

Lojka said he’s retiring because of significant changes state lawmakers are making in the state firefighters pension.

“Starting July 1, there will no longer be a COLA (cost of living adjustment) for retired firefighters. The 2 percent increase is gone. But if you retire before July 1, you get the COLA,” he said.

There’s also another financial incentive for retirement. Firefighters who retire before July 1 will “have the benefit of a very large return” from the firefighters pension system, Lojka said.

Midwest City will lose “six or seven” firefighters to retirement this year because of the changes to the pension system.

“Basically, the state is trying to break up collective bargaining units in Oklahoma,” Lojka said.

New challenge

Changes in the pension system isn’t the sole reason Lojka is retiring. He’s been afforded the chance to become a captain for an Oklahoma River boat.

As an avid sailor for the last 30 years and a sailing instructor for the last 20, Lojka said he’s pursuing a new challenge and passion.

“It’s something I really wanted to do. I was encouraged three years ago by two other people who already were captains. I can’t stay here forever, and it’s something totally different than the fire service,” Lojka said.

In preparation for his new job, Lojka spent two weeks in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., taking a class for the U.S. Coast Guard licensing test, which he passed.

“I’ve had 27 years of sailing on little boats and big boats,” he said. “I keep telling myself it’s a new challenge, but I’m a little nervous about the change.”

Lojka’s new job will be to direct the riverboats up and down the Oklahoma River as guests enjoy the rides, which range from one-and-a-half hours to three hours.

[email protected]