Choctaw Tribal Member and Local Hero Jake Trujillo Featured in Choctaw Nation Series, ‘Choctaw Proud’

DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s new series of the Together, We’re More campaign titled ‘Choctaw Proud’ features 18 tribal members from different careers, locations and walks of life, making a difference in Oklahoma and beyond. This month Choctaw Nation spotlights tribal member and Southeastern Oklahoma native Jake Trujillo.

When the unimaginable happens, we look to our first responders to be there with kindness, compassion and hope. As far back as he can remember, Trujillo wanted to be one of those people. More specifically, he wanted to be a police officer because he believed he could do the most good in the law enforcement field. But life has a funny way of showing us our destinies.

“I just think I have more to offer this world than just being a taker. I want to be a giver,” said Trujillo. “I want to be a good steward to those who have provided for me; I want to provide back. The world needs more people who give more and take less.”

While he was a student at the police academy in Colorado, Trujillo was introduced to the exciting world of wildland firefighting. As a member of a special response unit, he found himself hiking through the Rocky Mountains to perform river rescues and fight wildfires. It was through this work that Jake found his true calling: firefighting.

But in 2012 Trujillo became a full-time dad, and that meant finding a job that allowed him to do that. His family packed up and moved to Oklahoma, where he began working for the Choctaw Nation at the Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant.

During his time away from firefighting, Trujillo felt pulled in opposite directions. He was prioritizing his family by working a “normal” 9-to-5 job, but he missed the excitement of firefighting and the feeling he got by serving his community.

“You’ve got those people who like to go running and those people who like to go hiking, and I thrive on that feeling and that experience to get back to firefighting,” he said.

When Trujillo and his kids had been in Oklahoma for about five years, a neighbor approached him about joining the Calera Volunteer Fire Department. With his family established in the area and his children a little older, it seemed like a good time to return to the service he loved so much.

He brought his knowledge of fighting wildfires and performing rescues to the team, and they helped him learn how to fight structural fires and attend to victims of car accidents. This led Trujillo to seek certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

“Everything that we do evolves, especially in today’s age with technology and what we can do versus what we could do 20 years ago,” he said. This is particularly true with car accidents involving electric and hybrid vehicles. The wiring and lithium batteries used in modern electric cars has required firefighters to rethink the way they perform rescues and put out vehicular fires.

Above all else, though, Trujillo believes in the importance of giving back and serving the community.
“As an emergency manager, I’m only there when bad things happen,” said Trujillo. But the good he does for others in those moments makes it worthwhile. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment. I was there in somebody else’s worst moment, and I was able to bring them just a little bit of peace and joy. Things will get better.

You’re going to make it; you’re going to survive, and I’m going to be there to help you get there.”
Eventually, Trujillo came to work for the Choctaw Nation’s Office of Emergency Management, where he has been since July 2022.

During his time with the Choctaw Nation Emergency Management team, he assisted with the November 2022 tornadic outbreak that swept across four counties within the Choctaw Reservation, the operational and command support after a tornado ripped through the Shawnee area in April, and has offered virtual assistance to countless tribal citizens in other areas such as; the hurricanes in Florida, the wildfires and flooding in California and many more.

“It is the most personally rewarding field you can get yourself into but take it as personally rewarding and give it back out,” Trujillo said. “If it’s a field you are seriously thinking about getting into, know that it comes with pain, it comes with tears, but at the end of the day when you look at what you’ve been able to do and accomplish, it feels good. It’s not for the faint of heart.”

One motto Trujillo lives by is, “Not all heroes wear capes.” That sentiment is something he is passing on to his children, along with teaching them how to be givers in their community.

Fighting fires is only one of so many ways to help make the world better, and Trujillo wants to encourage everyone to volunteer and give back to their communities in any way they can.

“There’s nothing more humbling than looking in somebody’s eyes when you are serving them,” Trujillo said. “Once you do it, you have a different perspective on life, and you become a better person.”

To watch Trujillo tell his story view the video below or read his bio “More Than a Firefighter.” Go to togetherweremore.com to learn more about how the Choctaw Nation is making a difference in Oklahoma and beyond.