Water has been restored. Water pressures should begin to become normal. If you still experience little to no pressure through the night please contact the Checotah PD they will be able to reach the Water Dept. Thank you for your patience.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
City of Checotah Announces Hiring of First Full-Time Fire Chief, Greg Carmack
Checotah, OK – [August 13, 2025] – The City of Checotah is proud to announce the hiring of Mr. Greg Carmack as the city’s first full-time Fire Chief, marking a historic step forward for the community’s public safety services.
Chief Carmack was selected for his proven leadership and deep dedication to the Checotah Fire Department and the citizens it serves. He first joined the Checotah Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) in 2001 as a volunteer fireman and went on to serve as its Chief from 2011 to 2025. While leading the CVFD, Chief Carmack was also employed as a full-time firefighter for the City of Okmulgee for the past 17 years, including the last 8 years as a company officer. In addition, he has served for several years as an instructor with OSU Fire Service Training.
A graduate of Edmond Memorial High School, Greg is a long-time resident of Checotah, and he and his wife, Misty, have called the city home for over 25 years, raising three daughters and welcoming five grandchildren. He is a former local business owner with deep ties to the community. During his tenure as Volunteer Fire Chief, he led numerous trainings that resulted in multiple certifications for Checotah’s firefighters.
As the first full-time Fire Chief, Chief Carmack will lead the department into a new era, beginning the process of potentially employing full-time firemen for the City of Checotah at some point in the future.
Mayor Daniel Tarkington expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, stating:
“We are very excited to bring Greg back to the Checotah Fire Department. He has a proven record of leading the department, and with his appointment as the first full-time Fire Chief, we’re committed to giving him and the department the resources and support to continue advancing the department by empowering our exceptional group of volunteer firemen. This opportunity came about primarily due to some staffing changes within the city, and the city council and I felt those circumstances presented us with the perfect opportunity to strategically realign some positions.”
Chief Carmack will also serve as the city’s Emergency Manager, filling the role formerly held by Marcus Cunningham, who recently transitioned to the private sector. Mayor Tarkington further noted that Chief Carmack will assist in overseeing the city’s ambulance service, Checotah EMS, on at least a short-term basis, with the potential for eventual integration of EMS with the Fire Department under the banner of “Checotah Fire and Rescue.” However, any such change would still be a few years away, if deemed feasible and endorsed by the city council.
“In the coming months, I’ll be working with Chief Carmack, our firemen and EMTs, and the city council to create a clearly defined long-term vision for the city’s emergency operations,” Mayor Tarkington said. “We believe this hiring decision demonstrates our commitment to developing that vision.”
In accepting the role, Chief Carmack expressed gratitude and excitement:
“I want to begin by saying thank you to the City of Eufaula for giving me the opportunity to serve as Fire Chief, even if only for a short time. Eufaula is a great community with wonderful people, and I wish them and their department nothing but the best going forward. I will welcome the opportunity to continue working with them to improve our county. This was just a unique opportunity, as Checotah is my hometown, and I’m thrilled to be back serving as the Fire Chief—this time in a full-time capacity—where I get to continue working with a truly great group of firemen who are devoted to selflessly serving their community. I look forward to beginning this new phase in my professional life, as well as being a part of a new era for the Checotah Fire Department.”
City of Checotah Announces Hiring of First Full-Time Fire Chief, Greg Carmack
Checotah, OK – [August 13, 2025] – The City of Checotah is proud to announce the hiring of Mr. Greg Carmack as the city’s first full-time Fire Chief, marking a historic step forward for the community’s public safety services.
Chief Carmack was selected for his proven leadership and deep dedication to the Checotah Fire Department and the citizens it serves. He first joined the Checotah Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) in 2001 as a volunteer fireman and went on to serve as its Chief from 2011 to 2025. While leading the CVFD, Chief Carmack was also employed as a full-time firefighter for the City of Okmulgee for the past 17 years, including the last 8 years as a company officer. In addition, he has served for several years as an instructor with OSU Fire Service Training.
A graduate of Edmond Memorial High School, Greg is a long-time resident of Checotah, and he and his wife, Misty, have called the city home for over 25 years, raising three daughters and welcoming five grandchildren. He is a former local business owner with deep ties to the community. During his tenure as Volunteer Fire Chief, he led numerous trainings that resulted in multiple certifications for Checotah’s firefighters.
As the first full-time Fire Chief, Chief Carmack will lead the department into a new era, beginning the process of potentially employing full-time firemen for the City of Checotah at some point in the future.
Mayor Daniel Tarkington expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, stating:
“We are very excited to bring Greg back to the Checotah Fire Department. He has a proven record of leading the department, and with his appointment as the first full-time Fire Chief, we’re committed to giving him and the department the resources and support to continue advancing the department by empowering our exceptional group of volunteer firemen. This opportunity came about primarily due to some staffing changes within the city, and the city council and I felt those circumstances presented us with the perfect opportunity to strategically realign some positions.”
Chief Carmack will also serve as the city’s Emergency Manager, filling the role formerly held by Marcus Cunningham, who recently transitioned to the private sector. Mayor Tarkington further noted that Chief Carmack will assist in overseeing the city’s ambulance service, Checotah EMS, on at least a short-term basis, with the potential for eventual integration of EMS with the Fire Department under the banner of “Checotah Fire and Rescue.” However, any such change would still be a few years away, if deemed feasible and endorsed by the city council.
“In the coming months, I’ll be working with Chief Carmack, our firemen and EMTs, and the city council to create a clearly defined long-term vision for the city’s emergency operations,” Mayor Tarkington said. “We believe this hiring decision demonstrates our commitment to developing that vision.”
In accepting the role, Chief Carmack expressed gratitude and excitement:
“I want to begin by saying thank you to the City of Eufaula for giving me the opportunity to serve as Fire Chief, even if only for a short time. Eufaula is a great community with wonderful people, and I wish them and their department nothing but the best going forward. I will welcome the opportunity to continue working with them to improve our county. This was just a unique opportunity, as Checotah is my hometown, and I’m thrilled to be back serving as the Fire Chief—this time in a full-time capacity—where I get to continue working with a truly great group of firemen who are devoted to selflessly serving their community. I look forward to beginning this new phase in my professional life, as well as being a part of a new era for the Checotah Fire Department.”
Reminder that the Checotah Water department will be shutting off the main water line to Checotah tonight @8pm to make final tie ins on the new water line project. Thank you for your patience! Possibly will take up to 4 hours to complete.
Water dept will be shutting down the water Wednesday night at 8pm. They will be finishing the tie ins for the new water project. The water will be shut off at 8pm and off till about midnight! Thank you with your patience!
7am to 1pm. Free setup. No livestock or animals.
We will be installing some new tornado sirens in Checotah. There is a possibility that you will hear some test sounds throughout the day today.
If your student has signed up for little league football or cheer they need to be at Wildcat Welcome at the HS football field. The event starts at 6pm.
Water has been restored in the area of NE Knisley. If you have any issues please call City Hall. Thank you for your patience!
There is a water leak on NE Knisley. You may experience low to no water pressure for the next couple hours while the line is fixed. We hope to have it restored by 11 am. Thank you for your patience.
Beginning on Monday Aug 4th the City of Checotah will be receiving new water meters at home and commercial properties. There will be contractors coming by and letting you know they will have to shut your water off for a short period to change out your meter. We wanted everyone to be aware of the situation in case they come by your home or business. Thank you for your patience as we continue to upgrade our water systems!
Farmer's Market
The water has been turned back on. If you have any issues please contact the Police Department. They have the emergency contact for the water department. Thank you for your patience.
The main water line to Checotah has been turned off to repair the line. This will affect all of the Checotah water distribution. It will be a 4 to 6 hour process. We hope to have the water restored by 2 am. Thank you for your patience!
A reminder that the Checotah Water department will be shutting down the main water line into Checotah starting at 8pm for a repair. The expected down time will be 4-6 hours. You will experience little to no water pressure during this time. This will be for all Checotah water districts!
Water main has been fixed. Water pressures should begin to return to normal. If you have any issues please contact City Hall. Thank you for your patience!
There is a main line break downtown close to City Hall those on the Northwest, Southwest and some to East may experience low to no water pressure during this time. Thank you for your patience.
Reminder that the City of Checotah will be testing tornado sirens today at noon. This will only be a test.
The City of Checotah will be doing a test of the tornado sirens on Wednesday at noon. This will be a test of all our local sirens. Thank you.
The Checotah Water department would like to notify everyone that they will be doing a tie in to the main water line on Thursday July 31st at 8pm. The job is expected to take 4 to 6 hours. The entire town of Checotah may experience low to no pressure during this time. Thank you for your patience!
There is a water line break on SE Layfette. If you live in this area you may experience low to no water pressure for next two to three hours. Expected to have the water line fixed and back in service by 5pm. Thank you for your patience!