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Resident urges city to address fire protection as east-side housing expands
Summary
A Hays resident warned the City Commission that recent and planned housing growth on the city’s east side could outpace the fire department’s staffing and resources. Commissioners and city staff discussed capacity, mutual aid and long-term facility options but took no formal action.
Justin Choytz, a Hays resident, told the Hays City Commission on Jan. 23 that recent development on the city’s east side and the planned Tallgrass expansion require closer attention to fire protection and staffing. “With the staffing as it is now, does the commission understand exactly how many people we have on duty for the city of Hays at a time?” Choytz asked, describing a staffing picture he said left the department thin in a major incident.
The concern came during the meeting’s citizen comments period. Choytz said the city currently staffs seven firefighters in all, with one assigned to the airport when SkyWest flights are scheduled, leaving fewer personnel available for other shifts. He described situations—large public events and past structure fires—where mutual aid from nearby departments was not a reliable substitute for additional city staffing.
The issue reappeared later in the meeting during deliberations about the Tallgrass 4th edition rezoning and plat. A commissioner asked whether public safety staffing was adequate if the development fills in over five years. “Absolutely. We’re always evaluating our future needs for public safety,” a staff member identified in the meeting as Toby said, noting the city’s current ISO rating of 2 and that the airport fire station had been designed to allow an add-on for municipal use in the future. Toby said adding a satellite station on the east side would require both facilities and personnel and estimated a cost “easily” in the $3.5 million to $4 million range for a new station, if pursued.
Commissioners and staff discussed options for meeting future demand, including using capital planning, mutual-aid agreements and phased additions to facilities. No formal direction or motion was adopted at the meeting on staffing or station construction; the exchange was part of the public conversation tied to the Tallgrass development approvals.
City officials asked residents to continue raising concerns and said future budget and capital-improvement planning will consider service needs as growth proceeds. The commission did not schedule a separate vote or study directive on fire staffing at the Jan. 23 meeting.
