Kansas City fire chief warns cuts could hurt service

By Lynn Horsley
The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Most big cities use a firefighter staffing standard that Kansas City would violate if it adopts proposed fire department cuts, Fire Chief Smokey Dyer said Wednesday.

Dyer told the city council’s Public Safety Committee that Chicago, Memphis, Louisville, Dallas and Houston are among major U.S. cities that require at least four firefighters per pumper, in compliance with national fire protection standards. That staffing allows two people in the first pumper on the scene to begin spraying water on a fire, while two others can begin attacking the fire within a building and rescuing any victims.

Kansas City began increasing its firefighting ranks and staffed up its pumpers ten years ago to meet that standard. But City Manager Troy Schulte has recommended cutting 105 firefighters, saying the city has far fewer fires now and can save $7.5 million without compromising public safety. Such a reduction would force deployment changes and reductions to the pumpers, Dyer said.

Full story: Chief warns cutbacks could hurt firefighting efforts in KC