After 26 years of service with the Salt River Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic, Oscar Merritt has retired.

The SRFD held a retirement gathering for Merritt on June 1 at the new fire department headquarters on Chaparral Road. Merritt’s family members sat beside him as he listened to the many members of his Salt River family speak highly about his time working for the Community.

SRFD Chief Tsosie Wood, who met Merritt in about 2000, said that for more than two decades, Merritt answered the call whenever the Community needed help.

“Through emergencies, long shifts, challenging incidents and countless hours of service, Oscar consistently demonstrated compassion and commitment [to the Community],” said Wood. “Oscar has made a difference to countless citizens and earned the respect and friendship of everyone fortunate enough to serve alongside him.”

3 Takeaways:

• Oscar Merritt retired on June 1 after 26 years of service with the Salt River Fire Department.
• SRFD Chief Tsosie Wood and retired Captain Velasquez “Vel” Sneezy, among others, spoke about their time working with Merritt.
• Merritt received a ceremonial ax and shadow box before taking his last call on the radio.

During the gathering, Merritt received a ceremonial ax engraved with his name and a shadow box, which is a traditional personalized retirement gift for fire service personnel. The shadow box included commemorative coins, Merritt’s service badge and a paramedic badge.

Merritt asked recently retired SRFD Captain Velasquez “Vel” Sneezy to speak at the lectern.

“I want to thank you, Oscar, for asking me to come up and speak on your behalf. It speaks volumes of how you feel about me, and the feeling is mutual. Much respect,” said Sneezy. “My brotherly love for you is out of this world.”

One of the things that Sneezy loves about Merritt is his “cool voice.”

“You can’t tell ‘the Oscar story’ without using that voice,” Sneezy said, playfully imitating Merritt with an exaggerated gritty voice, which caused a few laughs from crewmates.

Merritt was a member of Sneezy’s team before Sneezy retired in 2025.

“One of the things about Oscar is that he was dependable. He took the jobs that no one wanted to do and he did them well with no complaints,” said Sneezy.

Before everyone was ready to dig into the barbecue, Merritt was handed a radio to make his last call.

After his last call, a voice on the radio channel resonated throughout the gathering space:

“The fire department, along with the police department and the alarm room, would like to extend our deepest gratitude and congratulations to firefighter Merritt on his retirement. Firefighter Merritt has built a commendable, multi-decade career with the Salt River Fire Department since June 2000. As an EMT and paramedic and serving on the technical rescue team, he has continually exemplified compassion, commitment and lifesaving dedication to the Community and its members. For 26 years, Firefighter Merritt has provided dedicated, honorable and faithful service during emergency incidents, stepping up when citizens faced their toughest moments. But his service runs beyond the emergency lights; whether he was managing special event coverage, engaging in public relations or taking on the massive responsibility of the driver operator to get his crew safely to the scene, he did it with pride. To the crews, he was a reliable brother on the line. To the citizens of this Community, he was a trusted protector. From all the members of the SRFD, the SRPD, the Salt River alarm room and citizens of the SRPMIC, we appreciate your dedicated service. You will be missed. Congratulations on your retirement.”