| Wichita City Fire Department |
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Ever since its establishment in 1886, the Wichita Fire Department has been a leading fire fighting body in the state of Kansas. The department operates in the Wichita city as well as the entire metropolitan area. This has been made possible by a set of special arrangements as well as automatic and mutual aid agreements entered into with the authorities of various surrounding jurisdictions.
The services started in 1872 as a ragtag band of fire volunteers and have since emerged into more than just a fire department. Today, the role of the department is not limited to working against fire cases. It is now operating as a comprehensive emergency response ser vice which works in close coordination with nearly every other department of city, be it police, hospital administration or even the utility services. The department has also expanded its role in providing education to community with regard to risk control and first response activities which has significantly boosted its community value. The current strength of the fire department of Wichita is 429 personnel in uniform and 9 civilian personnel who work in the two divisions of the department. Of the 429 uniformed personnel, 397 uniformed firefighters along with their officers are the core of the department as they form the Emergency Operations Division. Today, these personnel cater to as many as 366,000 people from 22 dedicated fire stations. The latest statistics show that in calendar year 2009, the fire department sent 69000 unit responses for the 43711 calls of service it received. Average response time for each of the 43711 calls was 4 minutes, 34 seconds. Of the 43711 calls received by the department, fires of all types were 1,645, emergency medical services requirements were 31,352, and non-fire hazardous condition cases were 1,117. Calls in good intent where no emergency or hazard was found were counted at 4,315 and as many as 1,632 false alarms were responded along with general public assistance calls at 2,663. In the recent times, the department has opened three new fire houses. These are located in the far southeast, far northwest, and South City neighborhoods. The department has also started work on second phase construction of its Regional Training Center. This construction work will be complete before the end of 2010. This regional training center will be used by firemen from Wichita as well as neighboring areas. Additionally, the department has also started implementation of a strategic plan which will bring together the various community risk reduction efforts. This also includes a special focus on fire safety and safety of fire fighters. The new program by Wichita city fire department will ensure optimal utilization of both- currently available and new resources. Related Articles
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