Mark Schlachtenhaufen
It was a raging grass fire, north of Crescent. Deer Creek Assistant Fire Chief Eric Harlow was on the scene, coordinating units on the southern edge of the fire.
He was busy enough with the units that he didn’t pay a lot of attention until he heard what every firefighter dreads hearing on the radio: ‘Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.”
“At that point, my ears were instantly glued to the radio,” Harlow said.
Flames were bearing down on Deer Creek firefighters Michael Montgomery and Kelly Lewis. Harlow heard commotion on the radio about protecting a structure and that the fire was about to reach it.
The next voice on the radio was that of Harlow’s friend, Fire Chief Randy Poindexter of the Kingfisher Fire Department.
His words to Harlow were plain and simple: “Eric, you need to get up here, now!”
Harlow said he remembers fumbling with his radio, shaking the entire time, fearing the worst.
“I simply couldn’t travel the half-mile to their location fast enough,” he said.
At first, when he pulled up, he was relieved to see both Montgomery and Lewis up and walking around. He was focused at that time on getting them medical care and making sure they were all right, he said.
For Harlow, the rest of that February day was a whirlwind of driving back and forth and talking non-stop on the phone with everyone imaginable. He said he really had to focus because he still had units on the scene of a dangerous fire.
He also knew the firefighters in the field would be worried about their firefighting brothers in the hospital. Fortunately, both firefighters fully recovered, he said.
“I sincerely hope that I nor any other firefighter in the area has to experience this firsthand,” he said.
One regret
Harlow was born in Drumright and raised in Stroud.
Larry Harlow, his father, is the North American assets manager for Halliburton and his mother, Gretchen, is a longtime teacher for Stroud Public Schools. He grew up with two younger brothers, Jared and Zac.
Harlow said his father always was hard on his sons, but for good reason. His father started at the bottom in the oil field, rising into upper management, working hard for everything.
“He taught us to be independent and how to be a hard worker, to earn what you want and need in life,” Harlow said. “At the time, I think we all thought it was hard, but looking back now we all appreciate that.”
Watching his father taught him many lessons, including how to succeed, Harlow said. His mother taught him how to communicate with words, skills that help him in communicating with the media, part of his duties with the Deer Creek Fire Department.
Having a mother who was a teacher also gave him incentive to walk a straight and narrow path. Teacher’s kids always are highly visible, especially in a small town like Stroud, Harlow said.
“I was always afraid if I did anything wrong my mom would find out pretty much immediately,” he said.
Harlow played football from the time it became available in the sixth grade until he graduated. During his junior and senior years his teams reached the state semifinals both seasons, losing to Wewoka in 1996, and to Watonga in 1997.
He also excelled in golf, and was a member of the 1997 Class A State Championship golf team.
In 1998 Harlow graduated from Stroud High School. From there, he went on to Oklahoma State University with credits toward a degree in fire protection and safety engineering.
Unfortunately, he said, he did not finish the degree and decided to enter the work force.
“Looking back, I’d have to say this is one thing I highly regret not doing,” Harlow said.
He plans to go back to school in the next few years and finish up his bachelor’s degree in emergency responder administration.
When he left OSU in 2001, he moved to Edmond and went to work for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office as a detention officer. He always had an interest in arson and fire investigations.
Harlow’s wife, Kellie, is a nurse at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City. Married for four years, their “children,” for now, are two miniature schnauzers, Ginger and Mimi.
Fulfilled dream
Harlow said growing up as far back as he can remember he wanted to be in the public safety field.
Recently, his mother found some paperwork from when he was young about him wanting to be a firefighter.
“So, basically my entire life, I’ve wanted to be a firefighter and help the public,” Harlow said. “Of course, when I was younger it was all about the flashing lights, sirens and big trucks.”
In December 2005, Harlow joined the Deer Creek Fire Department.
“I had always had several friends at Deer Creek and they convinced me to come over and join them as a big administrative changeover was taking place,” Harlow said.
In 2007, he was promoted to assistant chief.
Deer Creek Fire Chief Doug MacWilliams said Harlow’s a great individual to know and to work with. Harlow’s experience and knowledge about his occupation gives him less to worry about when he’s away from the area, MacWilliams said.
“Eric is laid back and easy going,” MacWilliams said. “He talks about his wife and parents often, what his dogs have done. You can pretty much talk to him about anything and he knows something about it. I couldn’t ask for a better assistant chief.”
Bright future
Harlow said at Deer Creek he works with dedicated and multi-talented firefighters. Recently, they have assisted in several large scale wildfires from as far as away as Taloga and Dewey County to the Choctaw-Midwest City fires.
Deer Creek is in the process of converting an ex-military vehicle into a heavy-duty all-terrain brush pumper for combating grass and brush fires, Harlow said. It will let the department take more than twice the amount of water normally carried on a typical brush pumper, he said.
The department also is remodeling and adding living quarters to the fire station, and pursuing federal economic stimulus dollars earmarked for fire station construction.
If received, it will fully fund sleeping quarters for seven firefighters along with full locker room, restroom shower facilities and a gym area. It also will fund a two-bay addition to the current station.
Also, a petition drive currently is under way that possibly will expand the department’s service area and add additional revenue to its budget, Harlow said. This would allow for a second fire station in the Northwest 220th/Coffee Creek and Pennsylvania Avenue area.
The Edmond Sun salutes Assistant Fire Chief Eric Harlow, one of Deer Creek’s finest.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108
