Woodward, Okla. — Jack Colten never thought he would work for the fire department.

In fact, he went to school to become a teacher, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

He even taught 7th and 8th grade science in Merritt for a number of years.

But now Colten is combining his love for education with a position with the Woodward Fire Department.

Colten was hired on Jan. 13 as the fire department’s new public education officer, replacing Chad Parks who recently switched over to fill a vacancy in one of the firefighting shifts.

As public education officer, Colten is responsible for providing community safety programs.

He was selected from among eight applicants for the position, according to Fire Chief Steve Day.

Day noted that one of the reasons why he selected Colten for the position was “because he comes from an education background.”

That was the same reason Colten applied for the job.

Since teaching in Merritt, he had been “contracting in the oil field before (he) came here.”

He said he viewed the public education officer position as “a way to get back into the education field.”

“I love being around kids and interacting with kids,” this father of two said as he explained why he enjoys being an educator.

Colten said he also viewed the job as an opportunity to return to his family’s roots as well as his career roots.

“I grew up in Laverne, so it’s kind of like being back home,” he said, noting “I’m closer to my parents and my little brother,” who still live in Laverne.

“It’s been 20 years since I’ve lived around here and Woodward, itself, has improved since then.  I’m looking forward to raising my children here,” Colten said, noting his daughter is 15-years-old, and his son is 11.

Despite only being on the job for a little over a month, Colten has already achieved one of his “many goals.”

“One of my goals was just getting a new program started,” he said, noting that he achieved it by partnering with the Tulsa area Safe Kids coalition to start up a drown prevention program at Fort Supply Lake.

As part of the program, which will kick off on Memorial Day, “life jackets will be loaned out during the summer for use at the lake,” Colten said.

He said the drowning prevention program is just one of several programs he is hoping to establish in Woodward County with the help of Safe Kids.  Another program would set up a monthly child seat safety check to be held at the Woodward Fire Department.

“I’ve got numerous different programs that I want to get started, ... and not just fire prevention,” Colten said, noting that he also wants to expand beyond just children’s programs to offer adult, family and senior safety programs.

However, he noted that it “may take me a year to really get all of my goals in line.”

For example, he said he wants to visit each of elementary schools in the county at least twice a year if the schools can fit it into their schedules.

While he has already “been to most all of the schools in the county and visited with their counselors and principals,” Colten said it will probably be the fall semester before he can start visiting all of the schools to present safety programs.

The fire chief said he is impressed with what Colten has accomplished so far and looks forward to the coming months.

“We got big hopes for him,” Day said.

Colten has his own big hopes.

“I’m looking forward to being here for many years and working with the community to make it a safer place,” he said.