The International Association of Firefighters Local 64 told the Unified Government of Wyandotte County on May 1 that the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department’s current staffing and station conditions fall short of national safety standards and need long-term funding and facility investments.

Local 64 president JJ Sima presented the union’s data-driven master plan to the commission, saying KCKFD “does not meet response time standards nor is [it] compliant with minimum staffing recommendations” in NFPA 1710, and urging the commission to preserve all current station coverage and raise minimum daily staffing to four firefighters per suppression apparatus.

The union’s presentation focused on national benchmarks. NFPA 1710 calls for a minimum of four firefighters per suppression apparatus, an initial apparatus travel-time goal of four minutes (240 seconds) for arrival 90% of the time, and different initial alarm staffing levels for low-, medium- and high-hazard incidents (17, 28 and 43 firefighters, respectively). Sima cited National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research showing a four-person crew can complete fireground tasks about 5.1 minutes faster than a three-person crew and that reduced crew sizes are associated with higher firefighter exertion and injury rates.

“We are currently operating with significant deficiencies,” Sima said. “We do not meet response time standards nor are we compliant with minimum staffing recommendations. Future growth will increase demand and require additional resources.”

Local 64 said it contracted an IAFF GIS analysis covering five years of KCKFD call data (2018–2022) that used roads-traveled mapping rather than “as the crow flies” methods to evaluate coverage and travel times. The union reported that KCKFD operates 23 fire suppression companies and nine medic units but that 14 of those 23 suppression apparatus are regularly staffed with just three firefighters; some days, reductions and limits on overtime have left many companies at three-person staffing, the union said.

The union proposed a two-phase building plan with a mix of rebuilds and renovations and the construction of a modern training facility. Local 64 listed nine stations it recommends rebuilding and six for renovation in an initial Phase 1; the plan also recommends additional future stations in growth areas including Piper. On station conditions, Sima said: “Fifteen of our 18 stations we showed on that station chart are in need of extensive renovation or of being rebuilt.”

Commissioners pressed union leaders and county staff on costs and next steps. Commissioner Bill Burns asked whether Local 64 included fiscal estimates for Phase 1 and Phase 2; Sima said the union focused on operational needs and did not produce firm cost projections, recommending that the unified government, the fire department and the committee jointly develop cost estimates. Assistant County Administrator Bridget Cobbins said that the committee has been touring recently built stations and that contemporary station construction costs range widely; she cited sample figures of roughly $13–$15 million for a three-bay station depending on size and scope.

Commissioners and staff also discussed funding sources. Cobbins and Chief Financial Officer Dr. Knievin reviewed available revenue streams: the unified government’s “dedicated” sales tax generates about $14 million annually and is divided roughly into thirds among fire, police and neighborhood infrastructure; an EMS fund and the general fund also support department costs. Sima and Cobbins urged exploring grants, public–private partnerships and bond options: the union explicitly suggested developing partnerships with large developers or institutions, including a possible collaboration with the University of Kansas Medical Center on a Station 10 relocation.

County Administrator David Johnson and Cobbins said staff will take both the union’s report and the administration’s earlier consultant master plan and perform a side-by-side comparison to identify common recommendations and differences. Cobbins told commissioners the parties expected to merge the two plans and to bring cost and funding options forward: “We will do a side by side comparison of both…and then those few areas that we don’t quite have a % commonality, we’ll get there.”

Commissioners asked the union and fire administration to provide priority lists and budget scenarios that could be considered during the 2026 budget process. Commissioner Melissa Bynum urged Local 64 and fire leadership to identify top one-to-three priorities “before we start making budget decisions, not after,” saying that the commission needs clear prioritized asks to consider in the coming budget cycle.

The union recommended that the joint labor–management strategic planning committee remain a standing committee meeting quarterly to monitor progress and provide annual reports to the commission. Sima said Local 64 is “committed to collaboration” and urged the commission to secure long-term funding and to avoid station closures or brownouts due to staffing shortages, noting the public-safety risk of reduced coverage.

Why it matters: Fire industry science and NFPA 1710 are widely cited standards that tie staffing, crew size and response times to safety and outcomes. Local 64’s plan frames service gaps in KCKFD as both a near-term operational risk and a long-term capital and staffing problem that will require multi-year funding decisions and coordinated planning between the union, fire administration and the unified government.

What’s next: Staff said they will merge the union and administration plans, develop cost estimates in coordination with finance and outside consultants, and return to the commission with prioritized funding options. Local 64 asked for a near-term commitment to preserve current station coverage and to work toward four-person minimum staffing on apparatus; county staff and commissioners committed to continued discussion within budget and capital planning processes.

Ending: Local 64 closed by urging collaboration and timely action to avoid escalating risk and infrastructure costs: “We live here and we work here. We want what is in the best interest of the public and the city as a whole,” Sima said. The commission asked staff to bring budget scenarios and prioritized recommendations back for the 2026 budget cycle so elected officials could evaluate funding choices.