(PEYTON, Colo.) — The Peyton Fire Protection District (PFPD) and surrounding community in eastern El Paso County are raising money to support Deputy Chief Oakley Revels and his wife, Vickie, after Deputy Chief Revels suffered a stroke while on a call this week.
“If you have called 911 in our district, you have met him,” read a post on PFPD’s Facebook page. “I know this because no one has responded to the needs of our community at the level he has.”
“He’s a pillar in the community. He’s touched a lot of lives out here. He’s done a lot for people,” said Jim Rodgers, a community member.
“It’s our responsibility to, as a community. That’s what us country people do. You know, when one of us goes down, we get together, and we take care of our own,” said Rodgers.
FOX21 News spoke with PFPD Chief Jeffery Turner on Wednesday, July 23, about Revels and the importance of helping out his family in this time of need.
According to Turner, on Sunday, July 20, PFPD responded to a call for service, and after the crew on scene took care of the patient, Turner said that’s when “…one of our personnel went down with their own medical emergency.”
“They said he was slurring his words, drooling on himself and was holding on to the ambulance just to try to stay standing,” said Vickie Revels, Oakley’s wife.
Revels was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for a stroke. “The normal treatment didn’t really work, so he had to go in for surgery,” Turner added.
“He is up and walking and talking. He still has some weakness on the left side, and he’s got a long road of recovery to rebuild everything that he has lost,” said his wife.
Revels, who is now stable and in the recovery stage, is hoping to leave the hospital in the next couple of days. Turner said Revels has been with the volunteer fire department for several years and has helped the community of Peyton through various events.
“He is our only paid tech on the department; the rest is volunteer, so he works there Monday through Friday… and responds to emergencies 24/7,” said Turner.
Revels’ wife Vickie also worked for the fire department for a number of years, a reason Turner said you would not find a family more dedicated to the community.
“The biggest thing, for anyone who is in emergency services, knows that you’re definitely not in it for the money,” Turner said. “We go out and we help people on their worst day… but when it touches one of our own, it really brings everything back into focus and that these guys aren’t bulletproof.”
He added that Revels has responded to everything from fires to flooding to the historic ‘bomb cyclone’ that slammed the region in 2019. “He was out there for 72 hours straight rescuing stranded motorists,” Turner said. “He is our go-to guy for Peyton fire.”
“We’re going to make sure they have meals and that they’re taken care of. As you know, dealing with somebody going through something like that, it takes a lot out of, you. She’s going to have her hands full,” said Rodgers.
After neighbors and the surrounding area learned that Revels was in the hospital, the response was immediate. “It’s gone through the community like wildfire,” Turner said. “We’ve had people reach out from other fire departments, from the community, and there has been such a great outreach for the family.”
A GoFundMe has been set up online, and people can click to donate here.
“I think our biggest goal going forward is for him to feel better and for us to keep him from trying to come back before he is ready,” said Turner.
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