By Sofi Zeman
The Kansas City Star
KANSAS CITY, Kansas. — After two years of discussion, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department and its union agree local firefighters and medics need newer, stronger facilities and resources to accommodate what they say is an increased demand seen across Wyandotte County.
Where they differ is on how to address that.
International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 64, told county commissioners earlier this month that their master plan for overhaul renovations and rebuilds to stations across the county notably varies from the plan the city’s fire chief presented less than two months prior. Neither plan included estimations on how much the total project will cost.
The union’s plan calls for renovations and rebuilds among 18 existing facilities and the construction of a new training center, whereas the department pitched a 10-year, three-phase plan that would address some but not all facility concerns.
The requests for more resources come when the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is hanging onto every dollar available during a tricky budget year. Commissioners in 2024 decided to freeze property tax revenues for 2025, resulting in cuts to public services that are likely to continue this summer. Budget cuts included reducing overtime pay for first responders.
But both the fire department and the firefighters union agreed that KCKFD is in dire need of resources, saying that the strain of its current hiring freeze poses a threat to public safety because the department’s emergency response times are too slow.
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The fire department falls short of national standards that recommend fire departments send out four firefighters per truck and meet a four-minute travel time between station and response scene during at least 90% of incidents called in, both groups told commissioners in their respective presentations.
One battalion meets the time requirement some of the time; two others consistently fail to meet it.
KCKFD’s coverage area spans 128 square miles and serves more than 150,000 residents. Its dated facilities, some of which were built in the 1950s and 1970s and others approaching 100 years old, are largely in what the parties call “poor” and “deplorable” conditions. Of the department’s 11 medic units, only nine are staffed at all times.
Wyandotte County is growing, and KCKFD’s seeing proof of that through its call volumes. The total annual number of incidents called into the department increased by almost 14% between 2018 and 2022, the union said of its emergency call data.
Local 64 plan
International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 64 pitched a two-phase plan that includes rebuilding nine current stations and renovating nine others, 15 of which the group said require extensive work and are in subpar shape to meet the growing demand for service.
The plan also calls for a brand-new training facility and for the department to hire more firefighters.
“Fire and EMS are essential services and a necessity for public safety, not an optional expense,” union president J.J. Simma said. “We are currently operating with significant deficiencies. We do not meet response time standards nor are we compliant with minimum staffing recommendations.”
In the first phase of the union’s construction plan, the department would:
- Rebuild stations 8,4,9 and 14;
- Construct a new training facility;
- Renovate stations 10, 2, 18 and 19.
Its second phase would:
- Rebuild stations 11, 7, 3, 5 and 1;
- Renovate stations 15, 6, 12, 16 and 20.
The union hopes to bring on more firefighters and dispatchers by filling the vacant positions and lifting the department’s hiring freeze. Simma said understaffing impacts the time it takes to respond to and address incidents, which increases risk of injury, death and property damage.
He said KCKFD needs an additional 14 firefighters per shift to bring it up to standard and to have up to five dispatchers on call per eight-hour shift.
“When not staffed with four firefighters, the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department operates apparatus that are not staffed to provide effective, efficient, and safe emergency operations,” according to the plan.
To finance the effort, Local 64 wants to explore new revenue sources, such as grant and private-public funds; review current spending and find long-term funding — without shutting down service at existing facilities. It also wants to review department policy and better align it with federal standards.
The union said it held off on including an estimated cost in the presentation given those are likely to change over the course of the next 10-15 years and it wanted to collaborate with government and fire financial staff to find accurate figures.
KCKFD plan
Chief Dennis L. Rubin during a March 27 presentation pitched the department’s 10-year, three-phase master plan. He pitched renovating four stations over the next 10 or so years and rebuilding two. He also wants regular apparatus replacements and new ambulances; as well as increased resources for medic staff.
“Some of the fire issues truly need to be addressed,” Rubin said, noting no one on commission was specifically responsible for delays in the infrastructure work.
The first phase of construction would include renovating Station 2 and rebuilding Station 20; the second would include rebuilding Station 4 and renovating Stations 6 and 9; the third includes renovating Station 8.
By the apparatus replacement schedule Rubin proposed, the department would get two new pumper trucks every even year in the plan; one pumper every odd year; one specialized unit and one brush per year; and four staff vehicles per year.
The department is also asking to put more resources into its emergency medical services – such as new stretchers – given the majority of called-in incidents in 2023 required medical services. The plan includes two new ambulances per year and one remount per year.
After Rubin’s presentation, some commissioners expressed frustrations that he didn’t specify how much his proposed project would cost given he “didn’t feel it was necessary.”
He said he’d recommend staff and others provide that information after a decision is made on the plan.
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