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Oberle celebrates 30 years of serving and protecting the Tea community

  • Tea Weekly Staff
  • Jun 19
  • 4 min read
Photo by South Dakota Salutes
Photo by South Dakota Salutes

Friday, June 13, marked 30 years of service for Tea Fire Chief, Steve Oberle. While some may see the day as an old superstition, Oberle knows his team has the dedication and training to face all that comes their way.

Growing up in Tea since he was five, Steve Oberle has built a life to be proud of in his 51 years. 

“I went to grade school in Tea before graduating from Lennox in 1993. This town is my home, and there is no other place in the world that feels like it. I love that Tea has a sense of small-town values even though the town is not as small as it was,” Oberle said.

Oberle, like all young adults, went out in the world looking for a place to call home of his own before learning that place was here all along. 

“I left three days after graduation, like a lot of kids do, searching for more out there, and I landed on a combine crew that worked from Texas to North Dakota. I saw every tiny town across the country, none of them had this feeling, none of them were Tea,” he said.

Working on the combine crew was long days of work over long periods away from home. 

“This job moved insanely fast, we went from town to town over four months and the closest I ever got to home were two weeks that I spent in Miller. It was then I knew that I needed to find a job back home,” Oberle said.

At just 21, Oberle was unsure of what his future would bring, but knew he was ready to find a way to give back to the Tea community. 

“I was talking with my dad one day and he was telling me how they were really short handed down at the fire hall and that I should come help them out since I was going to be sticking around. Since I didn’t have anything too serious going on in my life, I thought I would go see what it was about,” Oberle recalled.

Twenty-five men and women were on the department when Oberle first signed up. Those men and women helped shape Oberle into who he is today. 

“I was just a kid when I walked in there, and like all 21-year-olds, I was in a party phase of my life that I knew I needed to outgrow because I now had a department relying on me to shape up and get my head on straight,” Oberle said.

Oberle found the sense of community he was always searching for through the Tea Fire Department. 

“My parents always instilled in me that if someone needs help, you go help them; your stuff can always wait until later, and that hit so hard on my first couple fire calls. As the years have gone on, I’ve learned that people are calling on their absolute worst days, and when we arrive, we are able to make it a little better, even if we can’t save everything, we can try to make a difference,” Oberle said.

When the call comes, Oberle and his team are always ready to leap into action. 

“There are no good calls to go on, but we are trained for them all, but structure fires still bring out the adrenaline in me,” he said. 

Day or night, every member of the department is dedicated to the community they serve. 

“We all have the passion to get up and go when the pager goes off. I might not make all of the calls, but that is because we have younger members who are willing to get up in the middle of the night and it’s great experience for them, just like it was for me when I was their age, and I know we can trust that they will get the work done and done right,” he said.

The now 35 member team has one hard rule, and that is always listen to your elders. 

“There’s a reason why they’re old and still on the fire service. They’ve done stuff right, and they’ve gotten really lucky, but either way, they have the experience. Older guys who have been in for a while never stop learning because they know when you think you know it all, you need to hang up your helmet. Fires are constantly changing, and no one will ever be the exact same as another and I am fortunate enough to have a group of men and women with me who know to trust the feeling of the hair standing on the back of their necks and know how to keep each other safe,” Oberle said.

Over his 30 years on the department, Oberle has worked in nearly every position available. 

“Each position has it’s own challenges and I have loved learning the workings of them all. I am the Fire Chief now, but have been a firefighter, fire chief, captain, assistant fire chief, and I have also been the PR officer,” he said. 

While each position was rewarding, the PR officer position will always hold a special place in his heart. 

“There are many parts of my job that are really cool, but going out there and getting to meet kids in daycares and schools was pretty special, moments like that really stick with you,” Oberle continued.

Whether an easy call or a life changing event, Oberle is thankful for one thing at the end of each shift.

 “My family,” he said. 

His wife, kids, and the town of Tea are the three things that mean the world to Oberle and he will continue to fight for.

 “There is no feeling better than going home to my wife Stefanie of 22 years, my stepson and four-year-old grandson, and my daughter who just graduated. These are what matter most to me, and I will always protect,” he said.

Oberle is working to bring all the fire fighting families together this summer to have a reunion of past and present members. 

“We don’t have an exact time or event set up yet, we are still working through some things, but we want to find a way to invite past members, their spouses, families, and loved ones down to the station to share and celebrate them and thank them because without them, we would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for them pushing us in this direction,” Orbele added. 

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