NWCFD 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW

Northwest Consolidated Fire District Community Report

The Northwest Consolidated Fire District (NWCFD) protects an area of 70 square miles with three NWCFD staffed stations Services include fire suppression, rescue operations, Haz-Mat response, vehicle extrication, emergency medical services, fire prevention programs, public education, and fire inspection programs. Fire and EMS services are provided for the City of De Soto, Lexington Township, and parts of Olathe Township. Sunflower Redevelopment LLC, also contracts with the NWCFD to provide fire protection for Astra Enterprise Park.

A five-member Board governs the Northwest Consolidated Fire District. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners and the De Soto City Council appoint the Fire Board. The Fire Chief reports to the Board. Fire Board members are appointed to three-year terms and serve our community voluntarily. Our organizational structure consists of a fire chief, an administrative assistant, three battalion chiefs, nine fire captains, and 19 full-time/ four part-time firefighter/EMTs–for a total of 37 employees.

The NWCFD had 979 incidents on record for 2022, making it the second highest year. There were overlapping calls 18% of the time, when more than one call was active in the District at any given time. Apparatus are strategically moved for coverage reasons when the probability of travel times increase because of simultaneous service calls. All Johnson County fire agencies and Consolidated Fire District 1 of Douglas County have automatic aid agreements, with mutual aid response and coverage assistance.

NWCFD continues investing in development of its water rescue program. In 2022, four employees completed their Swift Water Rescue I & II training in Golden, Colorado, and joined the water rescue team. Additionally, four current water rescue team members completed water rescue refresher training in Oklahoma City. Four additional employees are scheduled to complete their swift water rescue training in Golden, June of 2023. NWCFD currently has 15 swift water rescue technicians. NWCFD continues to address the aging apparatus in its fleet. Delivery of a 3,000 gallon/1,000 GPM pump tender truck (water hauler) was added to the NWCFD fleet in the summer of 2022. Due to supply issues in the automotive industry, a 30-year-old brush truck scheduled to be delivered in 2022 was pushed back to 2023. An additional 30-year-old brush truck is scheduled to be replaced in 2023 but will likely not be replaced until 2024, due to automobile supply challenges. NWCFD is preparing for future growth within the fire district. A new fire station, an aerial (ladder) fire truck, and apparatus fleet additions are in the planning stages. To prepare for an increased service demand in the City of De Soto’s southwest growth area, NWCFD is working with our local, state, and private partners to remain well-positioned and well-prepared to serve future growth adequately. NWCFD is committed to providing excellent service to the fire district and will remain proactive.

The NWCFD is committed to attract and retain quality employees. We continue to combat attrition in a highly competitive market with a dwindling pool of qualified applicants. The NWCFD is investing in the training of its employees to the highest standard to ensure excellent service is delivered. This includes more advanced training in hazardous material, aerial operations, and the wide variety of advanced training employees undergo.

NWCFD is under regular and independent 5-year review of fire protection capabilities. Insurance companies regularly review a community’s fire-protection services to help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties. Currently, the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) is reviewing the NWCFD (including trucks, equipment, staffing, training, and deployment); the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center (9-1-1 call processing, dispatching, and alerting); water supply systems and risk management efforts. After a thorough review, ISO will issue an updated Public Protection Classification grading. We will provide a community update when the grading is completed.

The mission of the northwest Consolidated Fire District is to provide high-quality fire, rescue, and emergency medical services in a safe and caring manner to our community.

We take protecting our community seriously and strive to have our level of service reflect this.

–Fire Chief Todd Maxton, phone 913-585-0076