Window on the West
by Mary Rupert
While I have a great deal of respect for all the experts that did the study of the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department recently, I just don’t want to give up any fire protection.
Would any amount of money be worth it to give up one of the best things about our community – its good response times to emergencies and its good fire protection? This may be one of the reasons that businesses and residents choose to live here and do business here.
One good point of the study presented last week is the proposal to build two fire stations in western Kansas City, Kan., which doesn’t have enough fire coverage. However, I don’t think that in order to get coverage out west, that coverage on the east side has to be cut.
The argument that we can’t afford better fire service no longer holds water. Currently there is a series of programs happening in this community where residents are being asked how to spend an expected windfall when the bonds at Village West are paid off. Public safety and first responders certainly are a worthy place to put some extra dollars. Perhaps, for future years, the Unified Government should consider increasing a per-ticket tax on sports tickets and hotel rooms for the increased coverage that public safety gives these events. Are there some businesses that would be willing to give a little more for increased fire protection, much in the same way that the Downtown Improvement District charges an increased tax for clean streets and patrols? Or should the UG start using the charitable community contributions from the casino and other institutions here to go toward improving health by helping to fund the ambulance service? We know the state of Kansas has not been sending any extra money to communities lately, but shouldn’t it send some extra funds for fire protection for the University of Kansas Hospital and the medical school there? The same could be said for the federal government buildings in the downtown area.
Commissioners recently pointed out that some segments of the community were apparently left out in the fire study, and it would be a good idea to include businesses, residents and other stakeholders in more discussions about fire protection needs.
I would encourage the UG commissioners to look at the fire stations where consolidation is proposed, to get in their cars and see about how long it takes to get from the new station location to the various parts of the district the station is supposed to cover. Are there major highways separating parts of the district? Then they should consider this question: what if there is a fire at two places in the district at the same time? Find out who would be able to cover the second fire and how long it would take to get there, because one of the effects of consolidating fire stations could be that there is no longer another crew close by.
We recently saw an example of two fires at the same time. Only 11 days ago, on Oct. 8, two fires were reported at the same time on the east side. One was at 930 Central Ave., and the other was near 9th and Armstrong. Fire officials reported that firefighters went to the Central Avenue address at 12:31 p.m., and the total loss was $5,500, according to the report. At the other fire, at 1:17 p.m., the Fire Department reported a slightly delayed response, with crews arriving within 5 minutes because of another fire in the same district at the same time. Two firefighters had minor injuries and the home was a total loss, at $250,000.
There were some questions left unanswered by the fire study released last week, including the number of incidents in each area. Where exactly is the population concentrated here? And it’s not just residential population areas that the stations serve. Which of the fire stations are close to large industries, schools, retail areas or hospitals, and how many people would be put at risk if the fire stations were moved farther away? Those figures may be helpful to commissioners who will make a decision on this issue.
Just because the UG failed to keep its firefighting equipment and stations up to date does not mean that the UG should now do that at the cost of employee positions. If the UG identifies efficiencies for the Fire Department, I would hope the money could be put back into the Fire Department to improve staffing, not cut it, and make sure the city has the best fire coverage possible.
There are good reasons to consider increasing the amount of fire protection in this community.
For the last few years, we have seen an increase in extreme weather in the United States. Firefighters are among the first responders in major disasters, and if there will be an increase in weather-related crises, such as floods, tornadoes and fire danger, then the community needs to be looking at increasing the number of firefighters. Today, we are seeing a “red flag” warning from the National Weather Service that there is an increased risk of fire, and there have been wildfires off of I-435 on the Missouri side of the metropolitan area this morning.
With all the national interest this year in domestic and international terrorism, it is not a good time to cut back on some of our first responders. Certainly, the community does not want to leave its major industrial district and its largest hospital with less protection. Common sense says that it’s time to step up the fire protection of our community.
Traditionally, Kansas City, Kan., has had more than its share of elderly residents, who may need more ambulance service calls than others. It also has several major highways, with frequent crashes requiring emergency medical service. Then there are the older wood-framed houses on the east side and central part of the city, with older electrical systems which might be more prone toward fires.
Maybe you can never be totally prepared for emergencies. But we can certainly try, and we can offer our residents better fire protection than surrounding communities. Put safety first.
To reach Mary Rupert, editor, email [email protected]. Your opinions are welcome through letters to the editor or through comments about the issues.