On Sunday, March 1st, 58 year Oakland Volunteer fireman Lester Woodward was surprised by dozens of his fellow firefighters as they stopped by on a snowy day to wish Les well on his move to Texas.

Lester and his wife are relocating to be closer to their daughter and other family members. Les has been a fixture on the all-volunteer fire department for close to 60 years and the outpouring of support for Les’s sendoff is a small example of the respect and admiration that all of the members of the Oakland Volunteer Fire department have for Lester. It is not a stretch to say that Lester has personally taught each and every member of the department something about firefighting and life itself.

Lester joined the OVFD in 1957 and is a member of Company 2, In his time serving the Borough, he has held Officer positions of: Lieutenant Company 2 – 1967, Captain Company 2 – 1968 and 1969, Deputy Chief Company 2 – 1970 and 1971, Engineer Company 2 – 1972 and Deputy Chief Company 2 – 1975 and 1976.

During his career Lester has responded to over 100 Fire Calls while an active duty member, continues to serve as a member of the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department serving as a mentor to the all members of the Department, was Awarded Firefighter of the Year in 2006, was Awarded a Shield Award from the Ramapo Valley Knights of Columbus for dedication to his Community and was awarded a Proclamation in 2014 by the State of New Jersey for his many years of dedicated service.

Everyone who knows Les knows that his most favorite piece of fire equipment is his beloved 1954 Ward LaFrance 750 GPM Pumper.

A Quote from Less – “When the alarm goes off for a fire, the adrenaline goes into your body and you just rush in and do what you have to do. You don’t think of fear or anything else.”

All of the members of the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department wish this thank Lester for his service and genuine friendship and we all wish him well on his move to Texas.