Overland Park Fire Department reports record call volume, lays out station and staffing plans

Fire Chief Alan Long presented the Overland Park Fire Department nnual report for 2024, saying the department responded to more calls last year than in its history and outlining staffing, station and prevention plans.

Long said the department answered more than 25,000 calls in 2024, including a 4.63% increase in EMS calls and a 7.7% rise in fire-related calls. "We exist to help people," Long said, summarizing the department—oundational mission developed by staff.

The report's nut graf: the department described both operational pressures—ontinued call-volume growth concentrated in the southern part of the city nd investments intended to maintain response reliability, including a planned ladder truck and personnel additions tied to a 2027 timeline.

Long noted several contract and regional items: the department renewed the Merriam fire services contract for a 20-year term and Merriam agreed to compensate one battalion chief assigned to its station. He also described a pending consolidation of Johnson County Fire Districts 1 and 2 that is scheduled before the Board of County Commissioners; if approved, the department will renegotiate its District 2 contract to reflect a single taxing entity.

The report highlighted capital and budget details: the department's operating budget is about $32 million, with roughly $6.5 million reimbursed through Merriam and unincorporated Johnson County contracts; the department reported 222 employees at full staff. Chief Long pointed to the new Station 41 and said MEDDAC-A ambulance partners co-locate there under a 20-year lease that included $3,200,000 in leasehold improvements.

Long reviewed workload and performance data: the department's average response time was 4 minutes, 33 seconds, under the 5-minute standard. A heat map of call density showed sustained growth in grids south of U.S. 69, prompting a planned ladder placement at Station 5 (across from Blue Valley West) and the addition of a second company planned for 2027 once apparatus and personnel are in place. When Councilmember Reese asked where the ladder truck would be located, Long answered it is planned for Station 5 and is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2027.

The department emphasized clinical and public-health outcomes: chief-level data showed a 60% Utstein survival rate for witnessed cardiac arrest with shockable rhythm, which Long said is about double the national average and above the Johnson County average. Long credited bystander AED use and community CPR efforts and pointed to partnerships with Johnson County Heart Safe and local Hands-Only CPR events.

Prevention and community programs were prominent. Long said the prevention division completed more than 5,000 inspections and issued about 6,000 citations (mostly educational follow-ups). The department distributed more than 360 smoke alarms through canvassing and public events and introduced a digital dashboard to track detector installs and associated contacts. Training highlights included 239 hours per responder of training, acquired-structure practice in Merriam—8 days of 10-hour sessions nd joint hostile-event and technical-rescue exercises with county partners.

Long also outlined workforce and wellness initiatives: the department hired two graduates from the Blue Valley program, launched a cadet pathway that places high-school and college cadets into part-time roles, and expanded peer-support programming to include physical-fitness support and individualized plans. He noted the department lost 286 years of experience to retirements in 2024 and said mentoring and back-to-basics training are priorities.

Long described mutual-aid responses and recent deployments: the department responded to a mutual-aid request in March to Yates Center after wildfires and deployed a hazmat team to Cass County, Missouri, on an overturned anhydrous-ammonia tanker. He said staff are coordinating with county emergency management and NotifyJoCo to improve public notification and reduce nondirective smoke-odor calls.

The report concluded with reminders about public events and outreach, including an open house scheduled by the training center.

Ending: Chief Long invited questions from the committee; Councilmember Healy and others asked about mobile integrated health and paramedic visit programs, and Long said the department coordinates with Johnson County MedAct and mobile integrated-health partners to schedule in-home visits and follow-up for frequent callers.